Investigation of river and soil water quality at gold ore processing sites.

The processing of gold ore carried out by residents is currently an important source of regional income, but it can have harmful effects on the environment, including soil and rivers. One indicator of river water damage that can be seen physically is the color of the water, the value of COD and BOD. In addition, one of the heavy metals that is an indicator of pollution from gold ore processing is Fe. This study aims to conduct an analysis from upstream to downstream of the river and soil of the gold ore processing area in the sub-district Sukamenang. The analysis includes river color, COD, BOD, and Fe content using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer method. The results showed that the river water flowing in the gold ore processing area from upstream to downstream was cloudy yellow, had a distinctive iron smell, and tasted slightly bitter. The COD values are at concentrations of 9.45-40.87 ppm and BOD 1.10 – 1.72 ppm. The BOD values still meet the river water quality standards, but COD values are more than quality standards, namely COD and BOD, a maximum of 10 ppm and 2 ppm, respectively. Meanwhile, the Fe content has exceeded the quality standard, namely 1000 ppm for soil and 0.3 ppm for water. The concentration range of Fe levels obtained in the soil is 4002.36-4244.12 ppm and in water is 0.2136-0.5680 ppm. The high level of Fe in the soil indicates that gold ore processing can pollute the environment, so efforts are needed to treat the waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]