Water quality index and the sediment criteria due to anthropogenic activity in West Aceh District, Indonesia

Abstract

The existence of river environmental components or sediment and river pollutions are influenced by domestic, industrial, and agricultural waste, it will reduce water quality. The purpose of this study was to determine the index of water quality and sedimentation due to anthropogenic activities. Pollution Index (PI) method for water quality and Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) method for sedimentation. The Krueng Woyla and Krueng Meuruebo watersheds include have the highest intensity of anthropogenic activity at West Aceh District. Surrounding the Krueng Woyla watershed has illegal mining such as class C minerals like sand and stone and gold mining. In the Krueng Meureubo watershed, there are mining activities to dispose of company waste flowing through the Meureubo tributary accompanied by sand mining activities. These activities result in the pollution index (PI) calculation. It shows that there has been a decrease in the water quality of the Meuruebo and Woyla rivers with 1.0 <PI< 5.0 classified as lightly polluted river water quality conditions. The highest pollution index value is in the Krueng Meruebo downstream watershed which is 2.41 classified as “Slightly Polluted”. Based on the Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) and equations for a mercury concentration of 0.915, it is found that sediment has medium a negative effect index of heavy metals on river biota.