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

Received: 28 November 2019/Accepted: 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

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*Corresponding author; email: saifuddinppsk@student.usm.my