Abstract
The rise of mining activities without permission (PETI) which was a people’s mining from Dutch colonial legacy, located in the Tambang Sawah Village, Pinang Belapis District, Lebong Regency has caused environmental problems especially mercury pollution in that village river water. The sampling method refer to Japan Public Health Association (JPHA), then sample analyzed in the national standard laboratory and the results were compared with the Government Regulation of Republic Indonesia No. 82 of 2001 on Management of Water Quality and Control Over Water Pollution. Concentration of total mercury in river water at five sampling points from upstream to downstream of the Tambang Sawah Village river, respectively <0,0003 ppm, 0,0004 ppm, 0,0007 ppm, 0,0008 ppm and 0,0011 ppm and total concentration of mercury in river sediments respectively 1.34 ppm, 4.18 ppm, 35.89 ppm, 50.32 ppm and 114.37 ppm, has exceeded the threshold limit.
Highlights
Illegal gold mining activity (PETI) conducted by people of Tambang Sawah Village, Pinang Belapis Subdistrict of Lebong Regency has taken place in this area since the Dutch colonialism, continued to Japanese occupation of the Dutch, until today.Amalgamation process is normally applied in the activity of people’s gold mining in Tambang Sawah Village
Waste produced from amalgamation process is collected in a temporary pond where wastewater from this pond is later released into the river as the receiving water body, while tailings or waste sediments generated from amalgamation process are collected into sacks, piled up, and stored
A total of 5 sampling points was determined, the first and second points were located in the upstream part of river at the village boundary, the third (3) point was in the center of village, while the fourth (4) and fifth (5) points were in the downstream part of river at the village boundary
Summary
Illegal gold mining activity (PETI) conducted by people of Tambang Sawah Village, Pinang Belapis Subdistrict of Lebong Regency has taken place in this area since the Dutch colonialism, continued to Japanese occupation of the Dutch, until today. Amalgamation process is normally applied in the activity of people’s gold mining (artisanal mining) in Tambang Sawah Village. Amalgamation is a process of in which rocks contain gold are mixed with mercury using tromol [1]. Sediment is an essential sinking particle besides the source of Hg and is considered as the primary producer of methylmercury (MeHg) [3]. Contamination of mercury in river sediment could occur due to natural process (weathering of mineralized rocks), traditional gold extraction (amalgamation), and industrial process that uses raw materials that contain mercury. Investigating the source of mercury contamination requires thorough observation due to the absence of quality standard for mercury concentration in the river sediment [4]
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