Environmental study of the potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in talaga bodas geothermal field, Indonesia

This study aimed to determine the regional Geochemical Background (GB) of volcanic rocks from several geothermal prospect areas in Java Island and evaluate the Potentially Hazardous Elements (PHEs) status of the Talaga Bodas Geothermal Field area. The integrated 2-sigma iterative technique and the elemental Enrichment Factor (EF) are expected to indicate the regional geochemical background value and the PHEs status of the studied area. The result shows that the Geochemical Background (GB) of the PHEs of interest (Sb, As, Co, Pb, Cr, Cu, V, and Zn) are 1.39, 8.54, 27.05, 21.70, 44.14, 91.55, 264.81, and 94.83 ppm, respectively. Compared to the GB values, the altered volcanic rocks in the studied area are identified with moderate – very highly enriched As, Cr, Co, and Sb. Those elements need to be cautiously noticed, particularly by the authorities; hence, at certain doses, they are toxic and may pose a health hazard to the visitors and surrounding inhabitants. Other elements to be mindful of are Cd, Hg, and V, in which the concentrations are more significant than the threshold references. This research increases awareness of the potentially harmful elements and opens up more studies on soil quality standards as a more suitable reference for evaluating soil quality in Indonesia.