The Influence of Cadmium Heavy Metal on Vitamins in Aquatic Vegetables

The absorption of cadmium heavy metal in 3 (three) kinds of aquatic vegetables; water lettuce (Linnocharis flava), water convolvulus (Ipomoea aquatic Forsk) and watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br) is studied to determine the influence of the contents of vitamins A and C. The purpose of this research is to identify the accumulation of cadmium in the organs of the aquatic vegetables, and their influence to the contents of vitamins A and C. This research is conducted by employing the factorial experimental design of randomized block design (RBD) with 3 (three) factors. The data are analyzed by regression to detect the correlation and contribution of cadmium influence on the aquatic vegetables. The accumulation in the 3 (three) aquatic vegetables mainly occurs in the stems and leaves. The longer the harvest time is, the higher the accumulation will be. Water lettuce has the highest accumulation of cadmium, followed by water convolvulus and watercress has the least. Cadmium is responsible for the declining levels of vitamins A and C.