Evaluating Cadmium (Cd) Pollution in Sleman Regency’s Rice Fields

Abstract

The research aims to investigate the Cadmium (Cd) contamination in rice fields within Sleman Regency due to its potential environmental and human health impact. The study was conducted from January to June 2023 and involved collecting soil samples from 23 irrigated rice fields within Sleman Regency with a grid sampling approach. Composite soil samples were created by blending five individual sub-samples from the cultivated layer (0-20 cm). The Cd levels in these samples were investigated using the Atomic Absorption Spectro-photometer (AAS) method. The findings revealed that all the sampled rice fields in Sleman Regency exceeded the critical limit of Cd concentration. The analysis of contamination factors (CF) and potential ecological risks (Er) indicated that the Cd contamination in Sleman Regency had reached a highly polluted level, carrying potential ecological risks. The extent of Cd contamination, primarily resulting from human activities (EF > 1), fell within the severe to extreme range (I-geo = 4-5). As a result, remediation measures are required to address the Cd contamination in Sleman Regency’s rice fields. These findings call for reducing the usage of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides. Future studies should determine the possibility of cadmium accumulation in rice and its transfer from soil to rice.

Keywords:

• Pollution
• cadmium
• heavy metal
• rice fields
• Sleman
• residue

Acknowledgements

This research funded by the Home Program for Superior Plant and Livestock Seeds, Join Collaboration Research Scheme, Research Center for Food Crops, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) for this work through a research project entitled “Study of the Use of Microbes and Heavy Metal-Binding Soil Ameliorants Towards Sustainable Healthy Agricultural Products.”

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [APH], upon reasonable request.