Assessing Heavy Metal Contamination in Marine Sediments Around the Coastal Waters of Mimika Regency, Indonesia

The heavy metal contamination has become a serious problem in the aquatic environment, including marine sediments. This study was aimed at analyzing the content of heavy metals in marine sediments, then assessing and evaluating the level of heavy metal contamination and its ecological risks. The sediment samples were taken using a grab sampler at six sites in the coastal waters of Mimika Regency, Indonesia. The TCLP testing method was used to determine the content of heavy metals in marine sediments. The results showed that the concentrations of Pb, Cu, Cd, and Hg in marine sediments ranged from <0.25 to 0.59 ppm, <0.02 to 0.54 ppm, <0.005 to 0.03 ppm, and < 0.0007 ppm. Only the concentrations of Cu on the Meoga and Puriri sites exceeded the quality standard in the Government Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia No. 18 year 1999. The results of the assessment of heavy metal contamination and its ecological risk potential indicate that the coastal waters of Mimika Regency are included in the category of low contamination and low ecological risks. The concentration of heavy metals in this study shows that the coastal waters of Mimika Regency are not contaminated by Pb, Cu, Cd, and Hg heavy metals.