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Abstract
Shipyard and shipbreaking operations are a recognized global source of marine contamination through discharges of oil, heavy metals, and industrial waste, yet no published assessment has evaluated seawater quality specifically adjacent to the Tagana-an Shipyard in Surigao del Norte, Philippines, against national regulatory standards. This study determined the physicochemical parameters (color, turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, and oil and grease) and heavy metal concentrations (cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and nickel) of seawater adjacent to the Tagana-an Shipyard relative to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) marine water quality standards. The study employed a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive-evaluative design. One composite seawater sample was collected 50 meters seaward from the shipyard perimeter in Purok 5, Barangay Banban, Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte, in January 2025, and it was analyzed at the Department of Science and Technology laboratory in Ampayon, Butuan City, using Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater protocols and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. Turbidity (0.05 nephelometric turbidity units), pH (7.94), total suspended solids (12 mg/L), and oil and grease (0.6 mg/L) fell within DENR limits, and cadmium, copper, lead, and nickel were not detected. Color (11 true color units) and total dissolved solids (38,130 mg/L) exceeded DENR standards of 5 true color units and 35,000 mg/L, respectively, while chromium was detected at 0.035 mg/L, below the 0.05 mg/L limit. The seawater adjacent to the shipyard is largely, but not fully, compliant with DENR standards, showing a diffuse rather than a narrowly oil-specific contamination pattern that may implicate both industrial and community sources, warranting continued, source-specific water quality monitoring.