Environmental Management
A.M. Sabilillah; F.R. Palupi; B.K. Adji; A.P. Nugroho
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The threat posed by microplastics to humans through fish consumption is potentially great due to microplastics’ capacity to adsorb heavy metals. The Code and Gajahwong streams have suffered from plastic and heavy metal pollution as the major rivers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The threat posed by microplastics to humans through fish consumption is potentially great due to microplastics’ capacity to adsorb heavy metals. The Code and Gajahwong streams have suffered from plastic and heavy metal pollution as the major rivers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. However, little is known about the cumulative danger caused by the association of the microplastic and heavy metals. A thorough analysis of the extent of the health risks that people who consume fish from these rivers may experience is urgently needed. Hence, this study aimed to study microplastic pollution accumulated by fish in Code and Gajahwong streams, analyze the interactions with heavy metals, and assess the potential health risks.METHODS: Fish sample collection was conducted in three stations by considering the severity of plastic pollution. Microplastics were extracted from the gills, digestive tract, muscle, and water and then characterized based on the number, size, shape, color, and type of polymer. Potential health risks were evaluated based on the potential ecological risk index, polymer hazard index, pollution load index, estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient, total target hazard quotient, and target cancer risk.FINDINGS: Microplastics have contaminated the streams and fish and were dominated by small-sized green fibers and low-density polyethylene polymer. The pollution was related to human activities around the streams. The highest accumulation in fish was found in the digestive organs. Lead and cadmium have been associated with microplastics. The calculation of the potential ecological risk index and polymer hazard index showed that the medium risk of microplastic contamination in both streams. Based on the values of estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient, total target hazard quotient, and target cancer risk, short-term consumption of fish from the streams carries a low risk, but it will increase over time and pose a serious harm in the long term.CONCLUSION: Given that most of the microplastics found were associated with lead and cadmium, they can increase the risk to human health due to the transfer of microplastics through food chains. Mitigation efforts involving various stakeholders, community involvement, and continuous education must be continuously pursued. This study significantly contributes to the current problem of environmental pollution by means of microplastic threats associated with heavy metals and provides a thorough health risk assessment applicable to other rivers and mitigation efforts that must be exerted to achieve sustainability.
Environmental Engineering
N.D. Takarina; O.M. Chuan; T.G. Pin; I. Femnisya; A. Fathinah; A.N.B. Ramadhan; R. Hermawan; A. Adiwibowo
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tropical coastal ecosystems globally have been affected by land use changes. This condition has caused a discharge of pollutants into the water, affecting marine organisms, including fish. Due to their habitat preferences, fish are prone to elevate heavy metals in their tissue. ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tropical coastal ecosystems globally have been affected by land use changes. This condition has caused a discharge of pollutants into the water, affecting marine organisms, including fish. Due to their habitat preferences, fish are prone to elevate heavy metals in their tissue. Considering fish is consumable, heavy metal levels in fish can lead to health risks. One of the common edible fish in Southeast Asia is Pennahia argentata. Although widely consumed, there is limited information on how land use influences heavy metal levels in various tissues of this species and its health risk. Fish is one of the main food sources in this region, indicating this information’s importance. This study aims to elaborate on and differentiate the heavy metal levels in tissues and land use types, including settlement and mangrove areas on the West Java coast of Indonesia.METHODS: Locations of this study are the Jakarta coast representing anthropogenic influences in the form of settlements and the Subang coast as a site of mangrove covers. This study combined remote sensing and Geographic Information System analysis with heavy metal analysis using inductively coupled plasma and studied heavy metals, including cadmium, copper, and zinc, in fish tissues such as the gill, digestive tract, and muscle. Differences and correlation of heavy metal data in each tissue and location were statistically analyzed using Pearson correlation values (r), Analysis of Variance, and x2-test. The estimated Daily Intake was used to determine the health risk consumption of this species.FINDINGS: All levels of heavy metals are below the World Health Organization’s permissible limits. Zinc is consistently high in all tissues and locations, while cadmium is the lowest. The result shows that the digestive tract consistently has the highest heavy metal levels compared to other tissues in both locations. Heavy metal in muscle has the lowest level. Copper and zinc in the muscles of fish living on the settlement coasts were 62.69% and 37.18% higher (P <0.05) than fish inhabiting mangrove coasts.CONCLUSION: Trace elements in the commercial fish P. argentata were significantly affected by differences in land use. Variations in land use have elevated heavy metal levels in fish tissues. Given the high levels of heavy metals, the digestive tract can be chosen as a specific fish tissue to be used as a bioindicator to monitor cadmium, copper, and zinc, particularly on the West Java coast in Indonesia. Because the Estimated Daily Intake for zinc in Jakarta is high, consuming fish should be done with caution.
Environmental Engineering
N. D. Takarina; O. M. Chuan; M. I. Afifudin; L. Tristan; I. Arif; A. Adiwibowo
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coastal ecosystems worldwide have been threatened by changing land use and environmental determinants. These conditions have impacted important marine resources, including fish diversity. Southeast Asia, one region experiencing massive land use change, still has limited information ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Coastal ecosystems worldwide have been threatened by changing land use and environmental determinants. These conditions have impacted important marine resources, including fish diversity. Southeast Asia, one region experiencing massive land use change, still has limited information on how land use and disturbed coastal ecosystems impact fish diversity. This information is urgently needed as fish is one of the most important food resources here. This study aims to assess and compare the environment and tropical fish community between disturbed and intact sites, represented by coasts dominated by settlements and coasts dominated by mangrove forests in West Java, Indonesia.METHODS: Fish sampling was carried out at two sites: Jakarta as the disturbed site and Subang as the intact site; water quality was also measured at these sites. Land uses at the sites were interpreted using satellite imagery. Fish diversity was determined using the Shannon–Wiener index, rarefaction curve, and Lorenz graph. Principal component analysis, analysis of variance, and the x2-test were used to determine environmental factors that affected the fish community at both sites. Akaike’s information criterion was assigned to model the relationship between environmental factors and the fish community.FINDINGS: Coasts characterized by anthropogenic disturbances and the absence of mangrove cover have a lower potential of hydrogen (pH) and reduced fish diversity by up to 53.91%. The intact site had higher fish diversity and made a greater contribution to conservation by providing habitats for fish species with the least concern and vulnerability statuses, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. From the AIC model, the decreasing water pH (AICc = 27.28) was the main determinant that reduces fish diversity at disturbed sites compared to dissolved oxygen (Akaike’s information criterion = 28.13) and salinity (Akaike’s information criterion = 29.95).CONCLUSION: The coastal fish community was affected by differences in environmental factors, land uses, and mangrove cover driven by anthropogenic influences. The AIC model proved capable of assessing the effects of environmental factors on coastal fish communities. This study modeled environmental factors that should be managed and prioritized to restore and conserve the fish community along tropical coasts.
Environmental Science
N.J. Mensah; S. Antwi-Akomeah; E.J.D. Belford; G.E. Sebiawu; R. Aabeyir
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The vulnerability of the Sankana dam to organochlorine pesticide contamination is a major cause for concern. Indigenes rely on the dam for drinking water and irrigation of their farmlands as well as for fish and other aquatic delicacies. Virtually there exists no study on the ...
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The vulnerability of the Sankana dam to organochlorine pesticide contamination is a major cause for concern. Indigenes rely on the dam for drinking water and irrigation of their farmlands as well as for fish and other aquatic delicacies. Virtually there exists no study on the residual levels of organochlorine or other pesticide contaminants in the dam despite its susceptibility to pesticide contamination. In the present study, the levels of organochlorine residues in fish and sediments from the Sankana dam were assessed.METHODS: Pesticide residue extraction was achieved using acetonitrile containing 1% (v/v) acetic acid in the presence of sodium acetate, sodium citrate and magnesium sulphate followed by purification over activated florisil and sodium sulphate. Identification and quantification of residue extracts was done using a gas chromatograph conjugated with mass spectrometer.FINDING: In all, varying levels of 13 organochlorine residues were detected, 11 of which were found in fish and 12 in sediment. Average mean levels of organochlorine residues found in fish ranged from 0.001 - 0.277 mg/kg. Residual levels of beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, delta-hexachlorocyclohexane, gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, endosulfan-A and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane in fish were relatively higher than their respective levels in sediment. Organochlorine residues found in sediment also ranged from 0.001 - 0.091 mg/kg. Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, methoxychlor, heptachlor, gamma-chlordane and endosulfan-B residual levels in sediment were higher than the corresponding levels in fish.CONCLUSION: The study provides a baseline for continuous/regular monitoring of organochlorine contaminants in the Sankana dam and other waterbodies upstream and downstream. Where organochlorine residues exceeded their recommended permissible thresholds typically suggests possible recent/continuous use of such pesticides within the catchment area. There is therefore the need for appropriate measures and/or need to strengthen existing policies that bans the importation, sale and use of organochlorine pesticides via strict enforcement.
Environmental Management
M.A. Salam; S.C. Paul; S.N.B.M. Noor; S.A. Siddiqua; T.D. Aka; R. Wahab; E.R. Aweng
Abstract
Rapid industrialization along with advanced agricultural activities led to the contamination in aquatic environment with heavy metals. Heavy metals ultimately pass into human body through having aquatic animals like fish, prawn and crab. In this study, accumulation of heavy metals (zinc, copper, iron, ...
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Rapid industrialization along with advanced agricultural activities led to the contamination in aquatic environment with heavy metals. Heavy metals ultimately pass into human body through having aquatic animals like fish, prawn and crab. In this study, accumulation of heavy metals (zinc, copper, iron, cadmium and lead) in various organs of four commonly consumed fish (Euthynnus affinis, Pampus argenteus, Descapterus macrosoma, and Leiognathus daura), prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus) and crab (Portunus pelagicus) of Tok Bali Port, Kelantan, Malaysia were determined. Health risk was assessed using estimated daily intake and target hazard quotients. Although the concentrations of all the heavy metals in all fish, prawn and crab species were lower as per Malaysian Food Act, but the concentrations showed remarkable differences among the species and organs. The concentration of heavy metals in the gill was the highest of all fish species followed by in the liver and flesh. The total accumulation of heavy metals was maximum in Euthynnus affinis followed by Leiognathus daura, Descapterus macrosoma and Pampus argenteus of the fish species. However, the highest concentrations (µg/g) was for Zn (72.97±2.75), followed by Fe (4.309±0.68), Cd (1.189±0.78), Cu (1±0.87) and Pb (0.41±0.19) among all the heavy metal contents of fish. No significant variation (P<0.05) of the heavy metal concentration in prawn and crab species was observed. The investigation indicated that the fish, prawn and crab species of this port were safe for human consumption but the safe disposal of various wastes should be practiced to control the heavy metal accumulation in future.
