Abstract
The use of mercury in gold refining causes air pollution and results in the contamination of multipurpose tree species (MPTS). Tree bark has properties that cause it to store mercury for quite a long time. The purpose of this study was to determine mercury contamination of MPTS and map the mercury contamination distribution in the atmosphere using tree barks as bioindicators. Sampling was performed using purposive sampling. The mercury concentration was obtained by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the highest THg contents were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The analysis was carried out by gauging total mercury (THg), distance, elevation to THg, and interpolation of THg at the research site. The results showed that there were 10 types of MPTS trees whose bark could accumulate mercury. The bark of the Tamarindus indica tree stored the greatest amount of THg (74.4 µg dry weight (DW)), followed by Persea americana (58.7 µg DW), and Annona muricata (44.2 µg DW), respectively. This result was influenced by the roughness of the bark and the location of the plants. No correlation was found between distance and elevation to THg on tree bark. The mercury interpolation in the atmosphere showed that mercury moves from the purification point to the southeast of the purification location.
Highlights
Refining gold using mercury certainly pollutes the environment
Multipurpose tree species (MPTS) are usually not far from inhabitants, who tend to use them for wood or nontimber products [3]
This study aimed to determine the mercury contamination in the atmosphere, and the barks of MPTS trees were used as indicators to estimate the pollution and the distribution levels of mercury through air
Summary
Refining gold using mercury certainly pollutes the environment. Mercury is used because it can separate gold from other materials [1]. The use of mercury pollutes the environment and has serious impacts on health. Artisanal small scale gold mining causes environmental problems, as a lot of mercury waste is disposed into water resources [2]. Multipurpose tree species (MPTS) are usually not far from inhabitants, who tend to use them for wood or nontimber products [3]. The fruits of MPTS are consumed and they help in increasing community income [4]. It is dangerous when mercury is accumulated in trees and eventually consumed by humans. Mercury toxicity can trigger neurological damages, such as cognitive impairments and autoimmune dysfunctions [5]
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