Preliminary phytotoxicity of Mercury in conventional gold mining wastewater on Typha latifolia and Pistia stratiotes

Abstract

Abstract Small-scale mining, or conventional mining, is quite common in Indonesia. Almost all of these artisanal mining activities disregard environmental safety around the mining areas. The current widely used gold extraction method for gold exploitation is the amalgamation method, which utilizes mercury (Hg). The use of this method can result in environmental pollution from mercury. Based on the impact of mercury that can contaminate the environment, it is necessary to treat gold mining wastewater before disposing of it into the environment. One alternative that can be used to treat gold mining wastewater is to use plants (phytotreatment). The aims of study was to observe the tolerance of Hg to Typha latifolia and Pistia stratiotes plants, The methods was call the Range Finding Test (RFT). The study was conducted using synthetic Hg at concentrations of 0.3, 0.7, 1, 3, and 6 mg/L and a control (0 mg/L) in a batch reactor. The reactors were added with soil up to 25% as a growing medium. The physical observations of plants were carried out for 28 days. Typha latifolia and Pistia stratiotes could both grow and thrive at a Hg content of 6 mg/L, according to physical observations of the plants. In the first seven days, Pistia stratiotes plants exhibited a stress reaction in the form of yellowing and falling leaves. Both plants had vigorous, extended root development in all concentrations. Based on these findings, phytotreatment can be utilized as an alternate therapy to lower the Hg levels in gold mine wastewater.