Identification of cobalt in paddy fields in Karawang and Bekasi Districts

Abstract

Plants need cobalt (Co) for nitrogen fixation and encourage seedling growth. If the amount is excessive, cobalt causes a reduction in crop yield and poisoning. This study aims was to monitor the toxicity levels of cobalt in paddy fields. The study was conducted in the lowland rice fields of Karawang and Bekasi regencies by taking 394 samples of topsoil. The soil samples were collected by survey method. The analysis showed that all samples contained total cobalt, ranging from 0.477 to 31.829 ppm. The data is classified into 3 classes, namely: normal, normal-toxic and toxic under the quality standards of heavy metals in the soil [7]. The classification results showed that 391 samples are categorized as the normal class, 3 samples as the normal-toxic class, and there was no sample categorized as toxic class. The results of this study can be use as a reference for stakeholders to conduct land management to avoid cobalt poisoning.