Assessment of Water Quality Parameters and Heavy Metals Analysis at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Besut Campus Lake

Water is the most crucial element for living organisms as a component for survival. Even water has become the habitat for some organisms. Therefore, assessment of water quality is vital to keep water in good condition. This study aimed to determine the water quality of Besut Campus Lake by assessing the physicochemical parameters. Water Quality Index (WQI) is related to the process of determining the status class of water according to beneficial use, with a higher index value indicate good water quality. National Lake Water Quality Standard (NLWQS) was also applied in determining the category of enclosed water systems like ponds and lakes. Water samples were taken from sampling stations at Besut Campus Lake and undergo in – situ and ex–situ analyses involving nine physicochemical parameters. In addition, heavy metal analyses were conducted in the laboratory according to American Public Health Association (APHA) methods. Based on the research conducted, Besut Campus Lake was classified as Class Ⅱ with an index value of 78.23 from the Malaysia Water Quality Index (MWQI), which means recreational activities can be conducted within the lake area involving body contact. Meanwhile, according to National Lake Water Quality Standard (NLWQS), the water category of Besut Campus Lake can be categorised as Category B, which means recreational activities with secondary body contact. Further in-depth analyses involving other microbiological parameters should be carried out before the water can be recommended for primary contact recreation such as swimming

Seasonal variations of soil moisture regime at dry region of lowland dipterocarp forest in Pasoh forest reserve, Peninsular Malaysia

Soil moisture is an essential component in the terrestrial hydrological process and greatly influences nutrient cycle and energy flow. Tropical rainforest sometimes experiences a severe dry period for several months. Soil moisture is responsible for regulating transpiration during this time. This study focuses on the soil moisture in the tropical rainforest by determining soil water content at 6 ha Pasoh Reserve Forest, Negeri Sembilan, Peninsular Malaysia. The study area is located within the drier area in Peninsular Malaysia and therefore is suitable for assessing soil moisture fluctuation during the dry and wet seasons. We measure soil moisture from 39 grid points using Amplitude Domain Reflectometry (ADR-type) soil moisture profile probe from a different soil depth at 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6 and 1.0 meter monthly. This study aims to determine the seasonal soil moisture fluctuation in the Pasoh Forest Reserve as the effect of monsoon season. During the Northeast monsoon season between October 2019 to March 2020, soil water content was higher than the other months of the year. October shows the most rainfall, amounting 364.77 mm month-1. Expectedly, at all soil depth, the moisture revealed the higher as the rain is at most. The soil moisture also increased significantly with a deeper soil depth at 1m, compared to shallower soil depth. This study could be used as a model for developing forests associated with soil moisture and the ecological character of the tropical forest