The Effectiveness of Plant Pistia Stratiotes Weight to Reduction of Heavy Metal Content Chromium (Cr) Waste at Batik Home Industry in Regency of Pekalongan

Abstract

Batik industry is one industry that generates wastewater with high levels of heavy metals, especially chromium in quite high level because of the use of dyes. Chromium (Cr) was carcinogenic metal and toxic to organism and the environment. The accumulation of heavy metals in the environment would cause pollution and damage to ecosystems. One way that can be used to reduce levels of Cr in the wastewater was a method of phytoremediation using plant of Pistia stratiotes. The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of variation in plant of Pistia stratiotes to reduction at the level of chromium in the wastewater generated from the home industry. This type of research is experimental design with pretest-posttest control group designs. The treatment was done two stages, the first stage to seek the effective time of exposure plant of Pistia stratiotes by using a batch system and the second stage combines wood weight variation plant of Pistia stratiotes by the method of the constructed wetland with the type of Subsurface Flow Systems. Samples of water were used in this research is the liquid waste of batik home industry in regency of Pekalongan. The method of Cr content analysis in the waste water by using Specthrofotometer Atomic Absorption (AAS). The results of one research showed that phytoremediation stage with a variety of contact time 2, 4 and 6 days showed differences significant decreased levels of Cr in wastewater (p-value = 0.012), with the effective contact time was 6 days with 31.318% .

While the results of two phase research shows that there are also significant differences in decreased levels of Cr in wastewater at all weight variation (p-value = 0.000), and weight effective to reduce levels of Cr in the liquid waste was