Sains Malaysiana 49(8)(2020): 1787-1798

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2020-4908-03

Ecosystem Health Assessment of Sungai Pengkalan Chepa Basin: Water Quality and Heavy Metal Analysis

(Penilaian Kesihatan Ekosistem Lembangan Sungai Pengkalan Chepa: Analisis Kualiti Air dan Logam Berat)

MOHD SAIFUDDIN MALIKI ABDULLAH¹*, MALIKI HAPANI¹, NUR FATIEN MUHAMAD SALLEH¹ & WAN MOHD SAHNUSI WAN ALIAS²

¹Environmental and Occupational Health Programme, School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia

²Forensic Science Programme, School of Health Sciences, Health Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150 Kubang Kerian, Kelantan Darul Naim, Malaysia

Diserahkan: 28 November 2019/Diterima: 13 April 2020

ABSTRACT

This study was to determine the ecosystem health status at Sungai Pengkalan Chepa Basin based on Water Quality Index (WQI) and heavy metal concentration in the river water. Water samples were collected from 11 stations along the river and they were analyzed using YSI 556 MPS and laboratory analysis for in-situ test and ex-situ test, respectively. Meanwhile, heavy metal concentrations were analyzed using AAS. Water sampling was carried out starting from November 2018 until June 2019. The results for total median value of water quality parameters were as follows; DO (2.72 mg/L), BOD (6.42 mg/L), COD (33.5 mg/L), AN (1.02 mg/L), TSS (27 mg/L), and pH (6.97). According to WQI, Sungai Pengkalan Chepa Basin is classified under Class III, therefore, it is considered as slightly polluted. The order of concentration of heavy metals in water is Fe > Cr > Zn > Cu > Cd. Most of the heavy metals were found within the permitted level of National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) except for Cd. Based on the Kruskal Walis test, there was a significant difference between parameters namely DO, BOD, COD, AN, pH, Zn, and Cd with sampling locations (ρ < 0.05). Based on this study, it can be concluded that the ecosystem health of Sungai Pengkalan Chepa Basin is not healthy from the aspects of DO, BOD, COD, AN, and Cd. The water quality status of Sungai Pengkalan Chepa Basin was mainly affected by the anthropogenic activities from urban development.

Keywords: Ecosystem health; heavy metal; river water quality; water quality index

ABSTRAK

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menentukan status kesihatan ekosistem di Lembangan Sungai Pengkalan Chepa berdasarkan Indeks Kualiti Air (IKA) dan kepekatan logam berat di dalam air sungai. Sampel air diambil dari sebelas stesen persampelan di sepanjang lembangan sungai dan dianalisis menggunakan YSI 556 MPS untuk ujianin-situ dan analisis makmal untuk ujianex-situ. Kepekatan logam berat pula dianalisis menggunakan AAS. Persampelan air dijalankan bermula November 2018 hingga Jun 2019. Hasil kajian menunjukkan nilai median untuk parameter fizikokimia adalah seperti berikut; DO (2.72 mg/L), BOD (6.42 mg/L), COD (33.5 mg/L), AN (1.02 mg/L), TSS (27 mg/L), dan pH (6.97). Berdasarkan WQI, Lembangan Sungai Pengkalan Chepa dikelaskan di bawah Kelas III dan seterusnya dianggap sebagai sedikit tercemar. Kepekatan logamberat di dalam air sungai mengikut turutan Fe> Cr> Zn> Cu> Cd. Hampir kesemua logam berat didapati mematuhi had yang dibenarkan oleh Garis Panduan Kualiti Air Minum Kebangsaan (GKAMK) kecuali Cd. Ujian Kruskal Walis menunjukkan perbezaan yang signifikan antara parameter DO, BOD, COD, AN, pH, Zn dan Cd dengan lokasi persampelan (ρ < 0.05). Berdasarkan kajian ini dapat disimpulkan bahawa kesihatan ekosistem Lembangan Sungai Pengkalan Chepa adalah tidak sihat berdasarkan aspek DO, BOD, COD, AN dan Cd. Status kualiti air Lembangan Sungai Pengkalan Chepa adalah dipengaruhi oleh aktiviti antropogen akibat daripada proses pembangunan bandar.

Kata kunci: Indeks kualiti air; kesihatan ekosistem; kualiti air sungai; logam berat

RUJUKAN

Ahmad, A., Mushrifah, I. & Shuhaimi, O.M. 2009. Water quality and heavy metal concentrations in sediment of Sungai Kelantan, Kelantan, Malaysia: A baseline study. Sains Malaysiana 38(4): 435-442.

Al-Badaii, F., Shuhaimi-Othman, M. & Gasim, M. B. 2013. Water quality assessment of the Semenyih River, Selangor, Malaysia. Journal of Chemistry 2013: 1-10.  

Ali, H., Khan, E. & Ilahi, I. 2019. Environmental chemistry and ecotoxicology of hazardous heavy metals: Environmental persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. Journal of Chemistry 2019: 1-14.

Amneera, W., Najib, N., Yusof, S.R.M. & Ragunathan, S. 2013. Water quality index of Perlis River, Malaysia. International Journal of Civil & Environmental Engineering 13(2): 1-6.

Anhwange, B., Agbaji, E. & Gimba, E.C. 2012. Impact assessment of human activities and seasonal variation on River Benue within Makurdi Metropolis. International Journal of Science and Technology 2(5): 248-254.

APHA. 2012. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. Vol. 10. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.

Azwad, M. N. 2019. Threats to rivers. http://www.wwf.org.my/about_wwf/what_we_do/freshwater_main/freshwater_conserving_river_basins/threats_to_rivers/. Accessed on 10 April 2018.

DOE. 2017. Malaysia Environmental Quality Report. Putrajaya: Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia.

DOE. 2009. Environmental Quality Report. Putrajaya: Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Malaysia.

DOSM. 2010. Population and Housing Census of Malaysia. Putrajaya: Department of Statistics Malaysia.

Google Maps. 2018. Kota Bharu, Kelantan. https://www.google.com.my/maps/place/15200+Kota+Bharu,+Kelantan/@6.187419,102.228971,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x31b6afd8841d6f33:

0xbf251986c16f7589!8m2!3d6.124785!4d102.2543825. Accessed on 25 February 2018.

Kaushal, S.S. & Belt, K.T. 2012. The urban watershed continuum: Evolving spatial and temporal dimensions. Urban Ecosystems 15(2): 409-435.

MMD. 2019. Fenomena Cuaca Met Malaysia. http://www.met.gov.my/pendidikan/cuaca/fenomenacuaca. Accessed on 1 February 2019.

MOH. 2004. National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS). Engineering Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia.

MPKB. 2008. Draf Rancangan Tempatan Jajahan Kota Bharu 2020. Kelantan: Unit Rancangan Pembangunan Kota Bharu, Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu.

Noraini, R., Seca, G., Johan, I. & Mohd, I.J. 2010. Comparative study of water quality at different peat swamp forest of Batang Igan, Sibu Sarawak. American Journal of Environmental Sciences 6(5): 416-421.

Ruth, F.F. 2003. Dissolved Oxygen for Fish Production. Texas A&M AgriLife. https://agrilifecdn.tamu.edu/fisheries /files/2013/ 09/Dissolved-Oxygen-for-Fish-Production1.pdf.

Siti Zulfarina, F. 2015. Zooplankton Community Structure in Pengkalan Chepa River Basin. Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan. Masters Thesis (Unpublished). 

USEPA. 2013. Report on the 2013 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). International Decontamination Research and Development Conference. Washington: United States Environmental Protection Agency.

Wuana, R.A. & Okieimen, F.E. 2011. Heavy metals in contaminated soils: A review of sources, chemistry, risks and best available strategies for remediation. International Scholarly Research Notices ISRN Ecology 2011: 1-20.

Zulkefle, C.A. 2006. From dumpsite to a resort city. The Star Online. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2006/12/12/from-dumpsite-to-a-resort-city. Accessed on 11 August 2019.

*Pengarang untuk surat-menyurat; email: saifuddinppsk@student.usm.my