Sharon Inyangala 

Current research

Human stressors on lake pollution: example from Lake Maninjau in Indonesia

With sustained population growth and concurrent escalation in agricultural and fishing activities over the past century, the precise environmental ramifications of these human interventions remain uncertain. Previous investigations, utilizing sediment cores retrieved from Lake Maninjau, have unveiled a multifaceted lake ecosystem characterized by elevated organic matter content and distinct laminations, potentially indicative of fluctuating oxygen levels ranging from anoxic to intermittently sub-oxic conditions at the sediment-water interface. With a rigorous chronology established via radiocarbon and 210Pb dating techniques, complemented by C/N ratio and isotope analysis, there is a proposal to reconstruct the anthropogenic pressures and their resultant effects on ecological dynamics spanning the preceding 50 -100 years within the ongoing research endeavor. The project employs ICP-MS analysis to assess concentrations of major, trace, and rare earth elements, coupled with examination of carbon and nitrogen isotopes, to elucidate the origins and levels of toxic metals for health risk appraisal and mitigation purposes.

Understanding the anthropogenic drivers and their consequent impacts on lake ecosystems is paramount for guiding societal activities and mitigating their ecological impacts. This research endeavor will lay the groundwork for forthcoming projects in the Maninjau region, functioning as a repository of data pertinent to both environmental conservation and climate change analysis.