Treatment of Cr6+ using phytoremediation method in Rante Pond of PT. Vale Indonesia Tbk.

Abstract

PT. Vale Indonesia, Tbk is one of the companies that’s included in nickel’s mining industry in Sorowako village, Nuha District, East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi Province. The mining method used is an open pit method which in its application is inseparable from water problems. One of its problems is the wastewater of mining activity acquired was not in accordance with the standard of wastewater in the Indonesian regulation number 32 of 2009 regarding environmental protect and management. The amount of Chromium Hexavalent is not less than 0.1 ppm. It will cause the toxic in the body and damage the environment. In Rante pond’s research area, the initial concentration of Cr6⁺ is so high, that is 0.88 ppm. So, the treatment is needed to reduce the concentration of Cr6⁺. In this study, researcher used phytoremediation method to reduce pollutants of water that utilize plants to transfer, stabilize, or degrade the existing pollutants of water. The plant media used was water-hyacinth. So that, the phytoremediation method had been able to reduce the concentration of Cr6⁺ for 7 days from the initial concentration is 0.88 ppm to 0.28 ppm.