Assessment of heavy metal deposition in surface water and sediment in Balok and Tunggak River, Kuantan, Malaysia

Heavy metals are chemical elements with a specific gravity that is at least five times the specific gravity of water. The specific gravity is a measure of density of a given amount of a solid substance when it is being compared to an equal amount of water. Heavy metals are closely connected with environmental deterioration and the quality of human life, and thus have aroused concern all over the world. Heavy metals may enter the human body through food, water, air, or absorption through the skin when they come in contact with humans in agriculture and in manufacturing, pharmaceutical, industrial, or residential settings. Metal toxicity unlike some organic substances, are not metabolically degradable and their accumulation in living tissues can cause death or serious health threats. However, heavy metals deposition in water and sediment in Balok and Tunggak River is not well documented, and scientific evidence is very limited. The research proposed to assessment of heavy metals deposition in water and sediment in Balok and Tunggak River, Kuantan, Malaysia. Samples were collected every month from November 2010 to November 2012 and analyses for the regional variability for the concentrations of Al, As, Cr, Cd, Ch, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were done using ICP-MS. Rotary milling in agate mortar and microwave digestion (MDG) procedure was performed for the dissolution of the sediment samples before the determination of heavy metals. The presence of heavy metal has proven to influence human activity, mainly from chemical industry, chipboard industry, domestic waste disposal, etc.; they deteriorate since water quality of Balok and Tunggak River. Pearson's correlation between elements in water and sediment showed weak correlation due to the changing of the river flow rate every ±six hours. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Enrichment Factor (EF) had proven that sources of a pollutant were dominated by anthropogenic activity (industry and domestic waste) more than natural activity. The Contamination factor (Cf) proved that water column in Balok River and Tunggak River have been contaminated by Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb, which are probably influenced by anthropogenic activity, contamination by sedimentation, and natural source. Therefore, heavy metal pollution monitoring in Balok River and Tunggak River are needed in order to provide baseline data, which can be used by local authorities for environmental management, especially to improve river water quality