Water Quality Status of Segara Anakan Cilacap Indonesia for Biota Life

Abstract

The Segara Anakan is a fertile estuarine of Indonesian water having strategic values for various uses. Increased human activities have increased the potential risk of deteriorating environmental quality and subsequently caused a decline in organism biodiversity. The purposes of this study were to assess the quality of Segara Anakan by evaluating the pollution status biologically, whether it fulfilled the requirement for organism life or not. The research method used was a four-month survey in the eastern part of the Segara Anakan area. Sampling was done purposively in 7 sites. The parameters observed were water quality according to seawater quality standards for marine biota. The status of water quality was determined using the Coefficient of Saprobic. The results showed that ten parameters did not meet water quality standards, that were TSS, Dissolved Oxygen, Phosphate, Orthophosphate, Nitrate, PCBs, TBT, and Cr, As, Cd, and Pb. The status of water quality in all locations showed that it was lightly polluted with the status of mesosaprobic β. It was recommended that human activities that potentially pollute the environment, such as waste disposal, be restricted to avoid the water quality from becoming worse.