Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences V19 No 5 (2015): 911 - 919

 

 

 

Determination of heavy metals and radionuclides in Ligumia recta (Black Sandshell) from Kampung Gajah, Perak

 

(Penentuan Logam Berat dan Radionuklid di dalam Ligumia recta (Kijing) dari Kampung Gajah, Perak)

 

Nursyairah Arshad¹, Zaini Hamzah¹*, Ahmad Saat^1,2

 

¹Faculty of  Applied Sciences

²Institute of Science

Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: zainihamzah@live.com

 

 

Received: 30 April 2015; Accepted: 4 July 2015

 

 

Abstract

The abandoned mining area is known to contain high concentration of heavy metals and radionuclides that can be harmful to human and the ecosystem itself. Mussel families are commonly used as bio monitoring tools to monitor the environmental pollution. Therefore, Ligumia recta (Black Sandshell), locally known as ‘kijing’ was used to act as biological indicators that help in monitoring the heavy metals and radionuclides level. This study was carried out in Kampung Gajah, Perak which known as ex-mining area. The objective of this study is to determine the concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Hg, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K in Ligumia recta collected from two ex-mining lakes; Tasik Kapal Tujuh and Tasik Air Hitam. The samples were divided into three categories based on size. The flesh were separated from the shell, oven dried, ground, sieved and pelletizing before measured using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDXRF). The results show that the concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in the two lakes have significant differences, however there are no significant differences between the size of the samples (p>0.05). In addition, the concentrations were found to be higher at Tasik Kapal Tujuh compared to Tasik Air Hitam. This may be due to the size of the lakes and the acidity of water in the lakes. From the concentrations of the heavy metals and radionuclides, the exposure ingestion dose rate, health risk index (HRI) and radiological health risk were calculated to monitor the safety level in the Ligumia recta for human consumption.

 

Keywords: Ligumia recta, heavy metals, radionuclides, ex-mining lakes, Kampung Gajah

 

Abstrak

Kawasan bekas perlombongan diketahui mengandungi kandungan logam berat dan radionuklid yang tinggi yang boleh membahayakan manusia dan ekosistem itu sendiri. Keluarga kepah biasanya digunakan sebagai alat pemantauan biologi untuk memantau pencemaran alam sekitar. Oleh itu, Ligumia recta (Black Sandshell), lebih dikenali sebagai kijing digunakan sebagai alat penunjuk biologi yang membantu untuk memantau tahap logam berat dan radionuklid. Kajian ini dijalankan di Kampung Gajah, Perak yang terkenal dengan kawasan bekas lombong. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menentukan kandungan As, Cd, Pb, Hg, ²³⁸U, ²³²Th dan ⁴⁰K di dalam Ligumia recta yang dikumpulkan daripada dua tasik bekas perlombongan; Tasik Kapal Tujuh dan Tasik Air Hitam. Sampel dibahagikan kepada tiga kategori berdasarkan saiz mereka. Isi kijing dikeluarkan daripada cengkerangnya kemudian dikeringkan di dalam ketuhar, dikisar, ditapis and dibentukkan dalam bentuk pellet sebelum diukur menggunakan Teknik Pendaflur Serakan Tenaga Sinaran X (EDXRF) Spektrometer. Hasil kajian menunjukkan kandungan logam berat dan radionuklid di dalam dua buah tasik itu mempunyai perbezaan yang ketara, bagaimanapun tiada perbezaan yang ketara di antara saiz sampel (p>0.05). Tambahan pula, kandungan di dalam Tasik Kapal Tujuh adalah lebih tinggi berbanding Tasik Air Hitam. Ini mungkin disebabkan saiz tasik dan keasidan air di dalam tasik itu. Kadar dos pengambilan pendedahan, indeks risiko kesihatan (HRI) dan risiko kesihatan radiologi telah dikira daripada kepekatan logam berat dan radionuklid untuk memantau tahap selamat di dalam Ligumia recta sebagai sumber makanan kepada manusia.

 

Kata kunci: Ligumia recta, logam berat, radionuklid, tasik bekas perlombongan, Kampung Gajah

 

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