A Case Study of Heavy Metal Pollution in Water of Bone River by Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mine Activities in Eastern Part of Gorontalo, Indonesia

Abstract

Bone River, which is located in the eastern part of Gorontalo, Indonesia, has an issue of contamination by heavy metals due to artisanal small-scale gold mine (ASGM) activities. This river is used as a source of water by inhabitants living along the river, due to the lack of another clean water supply. The purpose of this study is to investigate the concentration of As from the mining site alongside Bone River, and to reveal the As pollution source. Water and sediment samples were collected from ASGM and along Bone River to the delta. The concentrations of As, Hg, and Pb in water samples were identified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP–MS), while concentrations in sediment samples were determined by particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). Results showed that the concentrations of As, Hg, and Pb in water ranged from 66 to 82,500 µg/L, 17 to 2080 µg/L, and 11 to 1670 µg/L, respectively. These levels exceeded, by 1000 to 10,000 times, the safe limits of drinking water defined by the World Health Organization, which indicated that Bone River water is not safe for drinking or cooking purposes.