KUALITAS AIR BAGI KEHIDUPAN ORGANISME BAGIAN TENGAH DAN HILIR SUNGAI MUSI BERDASARKAN PADA SUMBER POLUTAN

Abstract

Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui kualitas air Sungai Musi tahun 2007 sampai dengan 2008 di bagian tengah dan hilir berdasarkan pada sumber polutan. Empat belas stasiun pengambilan contoh ditetapkan sebagai sumber polutan seperti industri maupun pemukiman penduduk, dan referensi yang jauh dari industri maupun pemukiman yang digunakan sebagai pembanding. Pada setiap stasiun, pengambilan contoh dilakukan 3 kali waktu pengambilan, yaitu bulan April, Juni, dan Januari yang dapat mewakili 3 musim yang berbeda pada tahun tersebut. Beberapa parameter diukur in situ sementara beberapa lain dianalisis di laboratorium dengan standar methods (AWWAWEF, 2005). Dari hasil penelitian didapatkan bahwa industri yang bergerak di bidang pengolahan kelapa sawit dan karet cenderung menurunkan kualitas perairan di Sungai Musi. Kandungan logam berat dalam sedimen di Sungai Musi relatif rendah dengan kandungan Cr+6 dan Pb yang tertinggi masing-masing 13,481 dan 1,747 μg per g. Curah hujan cenderung menurunkan beberapa parameter fisika dan kimia kualitas perairan. Potensi pencemaran cenderung ditemukan di bagian hilir Sungai Musi, karena sebaran industri dan intensitas pemanfaatan perairan cukup tinggi di bagian sungai tersebut.

Study in order to know distribution of pollution source and its effect on water quality of the middle and down stream of Musi River was conducted in April and June 2007 and January 2008. Fourteen sampling sites were selected based on the pollution source and the minimal degradation site (reference sites). Parameters observed were pollution source distribution and water and sediment parameters such as physical and chemical parameters. Water sample was collected at 0.5 m from water surface by using Kemmerer water sampler while sediment samples were taken by using Ekman grab. Some of the parameters were analyzed in situ while the rest were analyzed in laboratory. Results indicated that oil palm and rubber industries were mostly the pollution source in Musi River. Potential pollution source was mostly found in the middle and down stream of Musi River since most of pollution source and high water utilization found in this area. Water quality parameters except total suspended solid and biochemical oxygen demand, were still in the range that can be tolerated by the aquatic organisms. Rain fall tends to decrease water quality of the river. Concentration of heavy metal such as Chrom (Cr+6) and plumbum in the sediment were in still in low concentration with the highest concentration reaching 13.481 and 1.747 μg per g respectively.