PEMANFAATAN SALVINIA MOLESTA D.S. MITCHELL, AKUMULATOR MERKURI DI SAWAH TERCEMAR LIMBAH PENAMBANGAN EMAS

Main Article Content

Nuril Hidayati
Fauzia Syarif
Titi Juhaeti

Abstract

Mercury is one of important contaminants in mine lands. One approach to remediate
risks from this metal pollutant is phytoextraction using hyperaccumulator plants. These
remarkable plant species accumulate appreciable high concentrations of metals than
do normal plants when the normal plants suffer yield reduction from metal phytotoxicity.
Some plant species growing in gold mine contaminated areas indicated high tolerance
and potentially effective in accumulating mercury in their roots and above ground
portions. Salvinia molesta is one of them. This plant could be utilized as hyperaccumulator
for cleaning up mercury contaminated sites. This research aim to study phytoextraction
of mercury by Salvinia molesta and the effectiveness of mercury degradator bacteria on
plant tolerance and mercury phytoextraction. In this study Salvinia molesta was grown in
mercury contaminated liquid gold mine waste, added with Mercury (II) Chloride (HgCl2)
0 ppm Hg, 10 ppm Hg, 30 ppm Hg and 50 ppm Hg. Mercury degradator bacteria was
applied in the media. The results showed that Salvinia molesta was able to survive even
in media with high level of mercury concentration (50 ppm), although the number of
plant survival tend to decrease with the increase of mercury concentration. Variables of
surface coverage and live plants decreased with the increase of mercury concentration
in the media. There was a close correlation between plant growth variables and mercury
concentration in the media. The effects of mercury toxicity on plants seems to decrease
in bacteria treated plants. It was indicated by the higher percentage of surface coverage
and plant survival in bacteria treated plants than that of untreated plants up to 30 ppm Hg.
Recovery from toxicity was shown in bacteria treated plants up to 30 ppm Hg. Mercury
accumulation in plants tent to increase with the increase of mercury concentration in
media. It can be concluded that plant performance was better and mercury concentration
decreased in bacteria treated plants.

Article Details

Section
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Author Biographies

Nuril Hidayati, LIPI

Pusat Penelitian Biologi, LIPI
Cibinong Science Center Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km 46, Cibinong 16911

Fauzia Syarif, LIPI

Pusat Penelitian Biologi, LIPI
Cibinong Science Center Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km 46, Cibinong 16911

Titi Juhaeti, LIPI

Pusat Penelitian Biologi, LIPI
Cibinong Science Center Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km 46, Cibinong 16911