The Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 11 No 1 (2007): 280 – 286

 

 

DETERMINATION OF HEAVY METALS CONTENT IN SOILS AND INDOOR DUSTS FROM NURSERIES IN DUNGUN, TERENGGANU

 

Norhayati Mohd Tahir*, Poh Seng Chee and Maisarah Jaafar

 

Environmental Research Group, Department of Chemical Sciences,

Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Mengabang Telipot,

21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu

 

*Corresponding author: hayati@umt.edu.my

 

Abstract

Concentrations of Cu, Mn, Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe and Al in indoor dusts and outdoor soils from nurseries located in industrial, town and village  area of Dungun district were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy  (AAS) following the acid digestion of the respective soil and indoor dust sample. The range of metals observed in soils were 0.46-46.9 µg/g, 23.2-338 µg/g, below detection limit (BDL) -4.66 µg/g, 2.26-130 µg/g, BDL-91.7 µg/g and 5310-114000 µg/g, for Cu, Mn, Cd, Zn, Pb and Al   respectively.   Although the results showed a relatively low contamination in  general, the village areas had appreciably higher level of toxic metals compared to both town and  industrial areas for outdoor soils. Atmospheric depositions and the distance from the main roadside appeared to have an influence on the Pb distribution in soils. Industrial areas on the other hand exhibited higher mean concentration of Cu, Mn, Fe, Pb and Zn in their indoor dust compared to town and village areas . Evaluation  of enrichment factors suggest that possible sources of Cu, Mn and Zn in indoor dusts could be from internal source.

 

Keywords : soil, indoor dust, heavy metals, Dungun, nurseries.

 

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