Nitrogen and Phosphate Content as Indicators of Eutrophication Level around the Mandalle Beach, Pangkep Regency, Indonesia

Abstract

Coastal areas, including the coast of Mandalle Beach, are areas that range in the occurrence of pollution, including eutrophication. The research aims to determine the level of eutrophication on the coast of Mandalle Beach based on indicators of nitrogen and phosphate content in the waters. The research was carried out for three months, namely April to June 2023. The research was conducted at five research locations, namely location 1, adjacent to fish cultivation and seaweed cultivation areas; location 2, adjacent to the Pangkep State Agricultural Polytechnic pier; location 3, adjacent to a mangrove forest; and location 4, located at the mouth of a small river and directly related to the sea and location 5, namely the location around the Mandalle traditional market and near the rice fields. Determining the location of the sampling is done by non-probability sampling. The data collected is on total nitrogen and total phosphate content. Data was collected by taking water samples, which were then brought to the laboratory for analysis. The data analysis used is descriptive analysis. The results showed that the total nitrogen content in the study was in the mesotropic tropic status, which was ≤ 0.750 ppm. Phosphate content at locations 1, 2, 4, and 5 entered the tropic status of the oligotrophic category, namely <0.010 ppm, while location 3 entered the tropic status of the mesotrophic category. Thus, the coast of Mandalle Beach is at a moderate fertility level with low nutrient content, so it can be stated that based on the elements N and P, the waters of Mandalle Beach have not yet experienced eutrophication.