Metal concentrations in Sungai Sedili Kecil, Johor, Peninsular Malaysia

Water and sediment from five sampling stations in Sungai Sedili Kecil were sampled in October 2010 and analyzed for 11 metals including cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), aluminium (Al), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), arsenic (As) and argentum (Ar). Results showed that the mean dissolved metal concentrations (in μg/L) in Sungai Sedili waters based on 5 sampling stations (in descending order) for Fe, Al, Zn, Cu, As, Mn, Ni, Pb, Co, Cd and Ag were 443.7, 52.7, 50.2, 34.2, 25.9, 20.3, 6.8, 1.4, 0.77, 0.67 and 0.10 μg/L, respectively. Mean metal concentrations (in μg/g dry weight) for sediments (in descending order) for Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cu, As, Ni, Co, Cd and Ag were 33389.4, 17118.7, 190.5, 55.1, 29.1, 26.3, 19.3, 10.9, 4.7, 0.18 and 0.12 μg/g, respectively. A comparison with various water and sediment quality standards showed that the mean metal concentrations in surface water and sediment of Sungai Sedili Kecil were low and within the range of natural background except for Cu and Fe in water

Use of multispecies freshwater biomonitor (MFB) to assess behavioral changes of guppy poecilia reticulata and freshwater prawn macrobrachium lanchesteri in response to cadmium

The Multispecies Freshwater Biomonitor¨ (MFB) uses the measurement and analysis of different types of behaviours from different aquatic organisms for monitoring the water quality in freshwater ecosystem. The aim of this study was to determine the specific response of freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium lanchesteri) and guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) to cadmium (Cd) in the laboratory. Different concentrations of Cd were exposed to M. lanchesteri (1 ppb and 10 ppb) and P. reticulata (100 ppb and 560 ppb) and the behavioural changes of the organisms were recorded by MFB for 2 hours. Results showed that the behavioural and ventilation response of M. lanchesteri and P. reticulata increased with increasing exposure concentrations of Cd. Results also showed that the shrimp was more sensitive to Cd than the guppy fish and these local species were suitable as indicator organism for the MFB

Toxicity of Metals to a Freshwater Snail, Melanoides tuberculata

Adult freshwater snails Melanoides tuberculata (Gastropod, Thiaridae) were exposed for a four-day period in laboratory conditions to a range of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), aluminium (Al), and manganese (Mn) concentrations. Mortality was assessed and median lethal times (LT50) and concentrations (LC50) were calculated. LT50 and LC50 increased with the decrease in mean exposure concentrations and times, respectively, for all metals. The LC50 values for the 96-hour exposures to Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Al, and Mn were 0.14, 1.49, 3.90, 6.82, 8.46, 8.49, 68.23, and 45.59 mg L−1, respectively. Cu was the most toxic metal to M. tuberculata, followed by Cd, Zn, Pb, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Al (Cu > Cd > Zn > Pb > Ni > Fe > Mn > Al). Metals bioconcentration in M. tuberculata increases with exposure to increasing concentrations and Cu has the highest accumulation (concentration factor) in the soft tissues. A comparison of LC50 values for metals for this species with those for other freshwater gastropods reveals that M. tuberculata is equally sensitive to metals

Chemical composition of a mud volcano LUSI and the health risk involved based on the air quality index that occurred as a result of disastrous gas exploration drilling activities in Sidoarjo, Indonesia

LUSI (Lumpur“mud”-Sidoarjo) is the mud volcanic which was initiated by the failed gas drilling exploration activities carried out near an urban area. The evaluation of the LUSI mud volcanic emission and its dried mud effects on air pollution and human health was carried out from 2011 to 2012. The concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5), hazardous gases (H2S, SO2, NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOC): Including total hydrocarbons (THC)), toluene (C6H5CH3) and benzene (C6H6) as well as heavy metals (Pb, Cr and Cd) were measured following standard methods. The results showed that the average concentration of PM2.5 ranged from 24.0-399.9 μg/m3, H2S: 1.53-2.92 ppm; SO2: 0.021-1.321 ppm and NO2: 0.007-0.076 ppm. The VOC included total hydrocarbons from 0.57-0.96 ppm, toluene 0.33-0.92 ppm and benzene 0.33-0.40 ppm. Furthermore, heavy metal concentrations were as follows: Pb 2.6-37.34 μg/m3; Cr 0.14-12.8 μg/m3 and Cd 0.78-4.16 μg/m3. LUSI contributed to increased air pollution primarily through H2S, SO2 and PM2.5. The Air Quality Index (AQI) of PM2.5 (164-217) and SO2 (235-291) showed that the air quality at the disaster area was ‘very unhealthy’. Backward trajectories indicated that the wind direction may have had an impact on the air pollution load

Elemental hydrochemistry assessment on its variation and quality status in Langat River, Western Peninsular Malaysia.

This paper discusses the hydrochemistry variation and its quality status in Langat River, based on the chemistry of major ions, metal concentrations and suitability for drinking purposes. Water samples were collected from 30 different stations to assess their hydrochemical characteristics. The physico-chemical parameters selected were temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, dissolved oxygen , pH, redox potential, HCO3, Cl, SO4, NO3, Ca, Na, K, Mg, 27Al, 138Ba, 9Be, 111Cd, 59Co, 63Cu, 52Cr, 57Fe, 55Mn, 60Ni, 208Pb, 80Se and 66Zn to investigate the variation of the constituents in the river water. Most of the parameters comply with the Drinking Water Quality Standard of the World Health Organization and the Malaysian National Standard for Drinking Water Quality by the Malaysia Ministry of Health except for EC, TDS, Cl, HCO3, SO4, Na, Mg, Al, Fe and Se. The results show that the Langat River is unsuitable for drinking purposes directly without treatment

Behavioural and Physiological Responses of Gammarus pulex Exposed to Cadmium and Arsenate at Three Temperatures: Individual and Combined Effects

This study aimed at investigating both the individual and combined effects of cadmium (Cd) and arsenate (AsV) on the physiology and behaviour of the Crustacean Gammarus pulex at three temperatures (5, 10 and15°C). G. pulex was exposed during 96 h to (i) two [Cd] alone, (ii) two [AsV] alone, and (iii) four combinations of [Cd] and [AsV] to obtain a complete factorial plane. After exposure, survival, [AsV] or [Cd] in body tissues, behavioural (ventilatory and locomotor activities) and physiological responses (iono-regulation of [Na+] and [Cl−] in haemolymph) were examined. The interactive effects (antagonistic, additive or synergistic) of binary mixtures were evaluated for each tested temperature using a predictive model for the theoretically expected interactive effect of chemicals. In single metal exposure, both the internal metal concentration in body tissues and the mortality rate increased along metallic gradient concentration. Cd alone significantly impaired both [Na+] and [Cl−] while AsV alone had a weak impact only on [Cl−]. The behavioural responses of G. pulex declined with increasing metal concentration suggesting a reallocation of energy from behavioural responses to maintenance functions. The interaction between AsV and Cd was considered as ‘additive’ for all the tested binary mixtures and temperatures (except for the lowest combination at 10°C considered as “antagonistic”). In binary mixtures, the decrease in both ventilatory and locomotor activities and the decline in haemolymphatic [Cl−] were amplified when respectively compared to those observed with the same concentrations of AsV or Cd alone. However, the presence of AsV decreased the haemolymphatic [Na+] loss when G. pulex was exposed to the lowest Cd concentration. Finally, the observed physiological and behavioural effects (except ventilation) in G. pulex exposed to AsV and/or Cd were exacerbated under the highest temperature. The discussion encompasses both the toxicity mechanisms of these metals and their interaction with rising temperature

Development as Eradication: The Pillage of the Jakun ‘People’s Bank’ of Tasik Chini, Pahang, Malaysia

The political rhetoric of social and economic development in Malaysia is used as a dominant and largely unquestioned discourse to justify the industrialised exploitation of the traditional territories of the indigeneous people of West Malaysia. This paper explores social policy drivers in respect of findings from a condensed ethnography of the Jakun Orang Asli people of Tasik Chini in the State of Pahang. Tasik Chini provides an important example of a wider problem affecting many Orang Asli communities in Malaysia relating to industrial exploitation, but is a case of special interest in respect of its significance as a site of rich and unique biodiversity as well as being the home of one of only two freshwater lakes in West Malaysia. Notably, Tasik Chini is also a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, of which there are only two in Malaysia, and where the lake and surrounding forests have provided the Jakun villagers with abundant natural resources for subsistence, but now the area is badly eroded and polluted by the ravages of big business. This presents a serious dilemma for the Jakun concerning resisting the destruction of their traditional way of life or to comply with State agendas and collude with their loss of self-sufficiency and autonomy and in so doing raises important questions regarding national social policy drivers and the position and welfare of indigenous people in Malaysia

Historical atmospheric pollution trends in Southeast Asia inferred from lake sediment records

Fossil fuel combustion leads to increased levels of air pollution, which negatively affects human health as well as the environment. Documented data for Southeast Asia (SEA) show a strong increase in fossil fuel consumption since 1980, but information on coal and oil combustion before 1980 is not widely available. Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) and heavy metals, such as mercury (Hg), are emitted as by-products of fossil fuel combustion and may accumulate in sediments following atmospheric fallout. Here we use sediment SCP and Hg records from several freshwater lentic ecosystems in SEA (Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore) to reconstruct long-term, region-wide variations in levels of these two key atmospheric pollution indicators. The age-depth models of Philippine sediment cores do not reach back far enough to date first SCP presence, but single SCP occurrences are first observed between 1925 and 1950 for a Malaysian site. Increasing SCP flux is observed at our sites from 1960 onward, although individual sites show minor differences in trends. SCP fluxes show a general decline after 2000 at each of our study sites. While the records show broadly similar temporal trends across SEA, absolute SCP fluxes differ between sites, with a record from Malaysia showing SCP fluxes that are two orders of magnitude lower than records from the Philippines. Similar trends in records from China and Japan represent the emergence of atmospheric pollution as a broadly-based inter-region environmental problem during the 20th century. Hg fluxes were relatively stable from the second half of the 20th century onward. As catchment soils are also contaminated with atmospheric Hg, future soil erosion can be expected to lead to enhanced Hg flux into surface waters

Metal concentrations in Bukit Merah Lake, Perak

Study on metal concentrations in water of Bukit Merah Lake was conducted in April 2009. Fifteen sampling stations were chosen and surface water samples for metals determination were collected. Some water quality parameters such as temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water hardness were determined at each station. Eleven metals i.e. cadmium, zinc, lead, copper, nickel, ion, cobalt, aluminium, barium, cromium dan manganese were determined in water samples. Results show that in general metals concentration were lower than maximum concentrations allowed by Malaysian and international standards in protecting aquatic life except for Fe and Al. For water quality parameters, study showed that all parameters are in natural concentration range (class I) according to National Water Quality Standard (NWQS Malaysia) except for dissolved oxygen and pH at some sampling stations especially at east side of the lake which were influenced by natural and anthropogenic factors

Penggunaan biomonitor multispesies air tawar dalam menilai perubahan kelakuan ikan gapi, poecilia reticulata dan udang air tawar, macrobrachium lanchesteri terhadap air larut resap dari tapak pelupusan sampah

Biomonitor Multispesies Air Tawar (MFB™) digunakan bagi mengukur dan menganalisis pelbagai kelakuan daripada pelbagai jenis organisma akuatik untuk memantau kualiti air dalam ekosistem air tawar. Isyarat gerak balas udang air tawar (Macrobrachium lanchesteri) dan ikan gapi (Poecilia reticulata) dikaji di dalam makmal bagi menentukan respons yang spesifik terhadap pendedahan kepekatan air larut resap yang berbeza (1%, 3% dan 5%) bagi kedua-dua organisma. Perubahan perilaku organisma (pergerakan dan ventilasi) direkodkan dengan menggunakan Biomonitor Multispesies Air Tawar (MFB) selama 24 jam. Hasil yang diperoleh menunjukkan terdapat trend peningkatan respons pergerakan dan ventilasi yang jelas dengan peningkatan kepekatan pendedahan air larut resap bagi udang air tawar. Manakala respons yang ditunjukkan oleh ikan gapi adalah tidak begitu jelas walaupun terdapat trend pengurangan pergerakan dengan peningkatan kepekatan pendedahan air larut resap dan trend peningkatan ventilasi dengan peningkatan kepekatan pendedahan. Kajian ini menunjukkan M. lanchesteri memberikan respons yang lebih sensitif kepada air larut resap berbanding P. reticulata dan organisma ini lebih sesuai digunakan sebagai organisma penunjuk untuk MFB