The AAS Method for Arsen Analysis in Cabbage in the Area of

Sinabung Post Eruption

Boby Cahyady

, Suharman

, Muhammad Taufik

and Fitri H Hasibuan

Chemistry Department, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science, Universita Sumatera Utara, Medan 20155,

Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

Postgraduate Chemistry Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara,

Jl. Bioteknologi No. 1 Kampus USU, Medan, Indonesia

Keywords: Sinabung, AAS, Arsenic, Lava, Eruption.

Abstract: Sinabung erupts will emit hot clouds. Flowing lava will bring considerable heat. Negative Impact after the

eruption of this mount is the exposure of cauliflower plants around the eruption site by Arsenic. This study

aims to determine of Arsenic from various types of cabbage (white, purple, green) exposed to the Sinabung

area after eruption using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) method. The sample used is

stem from white, purple, and green cabbage. Preparation of green cabbage samples in analytical laboratory

Universitas Sumatera Utara. Sampling uses simple random sampling technique. Process of destruction have

been developed and analysis using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) method used standard

solution at 0.05, 0.10. 0.150. 0.20. and 0.250 μg / mL. The wavelength used is 193.7 nm. The results of the

analysis showed that the amount of Arsenic contained in white, purple and green cabbage stems was 0.0072,

0.0043, and 0.0082 μg / mL respectively.

1 INTRODUCTION

Mount Sinabung is a Pleistocene to Holocene

stratovolcano. It is located in a relatively cool area

on a fertile plateau with mountains bounding the

north. The summit crater of the volcano has a

complex, longer form due to vents migrating on the

N-S line. The 2460 meter high andesitic to dacitic

volcano comes from the Sunda Arc, which is created

by the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under

the Eurasian Plate. The Andaman Islands are on the

North-Northwest bound of the arc while the Banda

Arc is on the East. Sinabung has a total of four

volcanic craters, one of them being active currently

(Endang Tri Wahyuni, Sugeng Triyono, 2012).

The various activities of Mount Sinabung cer-

tainly have positive and negative impacts on the

population around Mount Sinabung. There are nega-

tive impacts that can be directly felt by residents

around Mount Sinabung, for example when Mount

Sinabung erupts it emits hot clouds and lava which

flow with enough heat / energy. Gray-white volcanic

dust has covered the forest, villages and surrounding

agricultural land, so it is necessary to examine the

danger of volcanic dust to the health of local resi-

dents of agricultural crops and livestock of local

residents, agricultural crops and livestock. Volcanic

dust after the eruption of Mount Sinabung produces

Arsenic and various heavy metals that have an im-

pact on the quality of agricultural products including

cabbage (Nain Felix Sinuhaji, 2011).

Arsenic is the most toxic chemical and metalloid

found in nature and is an important element of con-

cern because it can cause toxicity and carcinogens,

even at low concentrations (López et al., 2012).

Exposure to arsenic in humans can be in inorganic

and organic forms. The presence of arsenic in the

environment can occur as natural substances and

contamination from human activities. Arsenic can be

found in water, air, food, and soil including from

volcanic eruptions, contamination from mines, use

of pesticides and fertilizers. The toxicity of arsenic

has been widely known, but depends on the form of

organic or inorganic arsenic compounds (Hazimah

dan Nurlinda Ayu Triwuri, 2018).

Inorganic arsenic is soluble in water or in the

form of gases and exposed to humans, other than

that it is the most toxic element and is found in soil,

air and water. Natural arsenic is produced from

volcanic eruptions that can release around 3000 tons

Cahyady, B., Suharman, ., Tauﬁk, M. and Hasibuan, F.

The AAS Method for Arsen Analysis in Cabbage in the Area of Sinabung Post Eruption.

DOI: 10.5220/0008920102490252

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Chemical Science and Technology Innovation (ICOCSTI 2019), pages 249-252

ISBN: 978-989-758-415-2

249

every year and can react with halogens, concentrated

peroxide and hot alkalis. The compounds of arsenic

with oxygen, chlorine and sulfur are called inorganic

arsenic, while the compounds of arsenic with carbon

and hydrogen are called organic arsenic. Arsenic

compounds are used in insecticides and as doping

materials in semiconductors. Arsenic is also used to

harden some lead metals (Joshi et al., 2016). Base

on research conducted by the USA Organic Trade

Association (2015) stating that rice, food and

organic food does not guarantee that organic

products do not have and are not exposed to arsenic.

However, many people do not know this, even

believing that organic food and food have nutrients

and advantages for health and are free of arsenic

compared to inorganic food. This assumption is very

wrong, because organic food still contains arsenic

levels as in organic rice. A study conducted by Xue,

et al. (2010) to determine the amount of arsenic

daily intake in the community in America, obtained

total levels of arsenic exposure through food by 0.38

μg / kg body weight / day. These results were 14

times higher than the amount of arsenic exposure

from drinking water. From the results obtained it can

be concluded that Americans are more exposed to

arsenic through food than through drinking water

(Joshi et al., 2016). Exposure to arsenic in humans

has caused many diseases in humans that have

occurred and have been evaluated by countries

throughout the world. These adverse effects on

health have led countries such as Canada to increase

safety of exposure to arsenic in drinking water by

reducing arsenic requirements in drinking water

from 50 µg / L to 25 μg / L (Mukherjee et al., 2006).

Arsenic compounds in inorganic forms are more

toxic than organic. Arsenic is carcinogenic because

long-term exposure can result in an increased risk for

various carcinomas including the skin, bladder, lungs,

kidneys, liver and prostate. The effects of arsenic are

related to changes in gastrointestinal, cardiovascular,

hematological, pulmonary, neurological, immunolog-

ical, reproductive and long-term effects of arsenic can

cause cancer (Joshi et al., 2016). According to the

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),

arsenic is included in the first class as a carcinogen

and states that arsenic can cause lung, skin and blad-

der cancer in humans without a minimum threshold

where small amounts of arsenic can be harmful to

human health (López et al., 2012).

Evi Ekayanti Ginting (2018) has examined the

analysis of metal arsenic (As) in rice. The results

showed that the highest levels of arsenic metal in rice

circulating in the city of Medan were 3.71 mg / kg in

brown rice, 3.40 mg / kg in brown rice, 0.33 mg / kg

in white rice and 0.13 mg of black rice / kg. (Ulfa,

2015). Ridwan, M. H. (2012) analyzed Arsenic (As)

metals in spinach showing the results that in Green

spinach (Amaranthus tricolor) a concentration of 0. 35

mg / kg was obtained While the red spinach (Blitum

rubrum) obtained a concentration of 0.40 mg / kg.

Arsenic (As) compounds are thought to be exposed to

cabbage farmers who are exposed to the eruption of

Mount Sinabung. In this study, purple, green and

white cabbage leaves were analyzed using the Atomic

Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) method.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

2.1 Collecting and Preparation Sample

In this work, the population was green cabbage veg-

etables in the area after the eruption of Mount

Sinabung. Sampling uses simple random sampling

technique (random sampling). In this method the

sample members choose directly from the entire

population without being calculated based on the

population because they consider having the same

number to be chosen. So this way is considered a

large group, while samples are taken to represent the

population. 100 g of cabbage is washed with running

water and drained dry. Then blend until smooth.

2.2 Destruction Process

The white, purple, and green cabbage @0.5 g) put

into the vessel, added 5 mL of 65% HNO

and 3 mL

of 37 % HCl. Then let stand for 10 minutes so that

the sample dissolves. Vessel is inserted into the

microwave at 180

C for 30 minutes until destruction

occurs perfectly which is marked by obtaining clear

liquid. Then the destruction results are cooled and

put into a 50 mL volumetric flask and filled with

demineralized acua to 50 mL and filtered used

Whatmann paper No. 41.

2.3 Calibration Curves Used AAS

Instrument

The standard Arsenic solution (1000 μg / mL) was

piped 10 mL and then put into a flask measuring 100

mL and filled to the mark line with aquadest (con-

centration 100μg / mL). Then piped 5 mL and then

put it in a flask measuring 500 mL and filling it up

to the mark line with aquadest (Concentration of 1

μg / mL). Retweeted (0. 0.5; 1; 1.5; 2; 2.5) mL was

put into a flask measuring 100 mL and filled to the

ICOCSTI 2019 - International Conference on Chemical Science and Technology Innovation

250

mark line with aquadest until concentration (0;

0.005; 0.01; 0.015 ; 0.02; 0.025) μg / mL) and meas-

ured the absorbance by atomic absorption spectropo-

tometer at a wavelength of 193.7 nm. The absorb-

ance value and concentration will be plotted to ob-

tain the calibration curve and then calculated the

regression equation.

2.4 Determination of Arsenic Levels

The solution of the destruction of the sample, HCl,

NaBH4, is flowed by the pump to manifolid to mix

and forward to the coli (circle) to form a hydride.

Steering is measured using an atomic absorption

spectrophotometer at a 193.7 nm wavelength

equipped with Vapor Hydride Generation Acessories.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The results of the study of Arsenic levels exposed to

white, purple, and green cabbage are as follows

Figure 1.

Figure 1: Arsenic concentration in cabbage.

Standard Solution Absorption Measurement

Results on Metal Arsenic (As) nn Wavelength of

193.7 nm are follows Table 1 and the last squre

equation at Figure 2.

Table 1: Standard solution Absorption at 193,7 nm.

No.

Concentration (μg / mL )

Absorbantion

(A)

0.05

0.0121

0.10

0.0221

0.15

0.0320

0.20

0.0412

0.25

0.0522

Figure 2: Concentration vs Absorbantion.

This research was conducted with analyze the

metal content of arsenic (As) in white, purple, and

green cabbage found in Mount Sinabung post

eruption using atomic absorption spectrophotometry

(AAS). Advantages of the method Atomic

Absorption Spectrophotometer (SSA) compared

with ordinary spectrophotometer that is specific, low

detection limit of solution the same can measure

different elements, measurements directly towards

the sample, output can be read directly, enough

economical, can be applied to many types of

elements, limit levels Determination of area from μg

/ mL to %. The purpose of destruction is done is to

overhaul the organic compounds contained within

sample, so that it will be obtained last simpler

compound the remaining HNO

is removed by

means of heated on a hot plate inside fume hood to

prevent inhalation of NO

(poisons). Then sample

that has been destroyed diluted with distilled water

until 50 mL, then filtered using Whatman filter

paper no. 41. Until a clear solution is obtained.

Filtrate obtained is used for analysis of arsenic metal

content using a spectrophotometric device atomic

absorption at length wave 193.7 nm (As).

Cabbage are a great source of vegetable protein

and many contains vitamins A, B and C, especially

in the seeds. Several types of cabbage which is

cultivated among green cabbage, compost

beanspurple cabbage, and white cabbage. Cabbage

have important potential in the framework

fulfillment of nutrition, foreign exchange earnings,

improvement of community welfare, and

improvement in farmer's income. The results of the

eruption of Mount Sinabung emitted smoke thick

black with sand, and volcanic dust covering

thousands of hectares of farmers' crops which are

under a six kilometer radius covered in sand dust.

Volcanic dust causes many farmers' plants on the

slopes of the mountain to die and be damaged. It is

The AAS Method for Arsen Analysis in Cabbage in the Area of Sinabung Post Eruption

251

estimated that an area of 15341 hectares of displaced

agricultural crops from Mount Sinabung is

threatened with crop failure and one of which is the

exposure of arsenic specific metals.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Arsenic from various types of cabbage (white,

purple, green) exposed to the Sinabung area after

eruption using the Atomic Absorption

Spectrophotometry (AAS) method was

determinated. Atomic Absorption

Spectrophotometry (AAS) method was applicated

used standard solution at 0.05, 0.10. 0.150. 0.20. and

0.250 μg / mL. The wavelength used is 193.7 nm.

The results of the analysis showed that the amount

of Arsenic contained in white, purple and green

cabbage stems was 0.0072, 0.0043, and 0.0082 μg /

mL respectively.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge Rector of Uni-

versity of Sumatera Utara for the financial support

via Penelitian Dasar Talenta Project 2019

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