Assessment of heavy metals in water, sediment, Anabas testudineus and Eichhornia crassipes in a former mining pond in Perak, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

The concentrations of Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sn and Zn were analysed in water, sediment, muscle of climbing perch fish (Anabas testudineus), and tissue of water hyacinth plants (Eichhornia crassipes) collected from a former tin-mining pond in Perak, Malaysia. The monitoring was performed during the minimum and maximum rainfall periods. The concentrations of As, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in water exceeded the permissible limits set by the Interim National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (INWQS). The risk index (RI) values determined for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn in sediment presented a low degree of ecological risk. The order of the top three heavy metals measured in fish muscle was Zn > Fe > Al. The estimated daily intake (EDI) of As and Cr exceeded the allowable limits in both rainfall periods. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF) values of Zn in water hyacinth were 24.865 and 3.214, respectively. The concentrations of Cu and Zn in the plant tissue were significantly correlated (p < .05) with the concentrations of heavy metals in water. Overall, climbing perch and water hyacinth are excellent bioindicators of environmental impacts on water bodies.

KEYWORDS:

• Former mining pond
• heavy metals
• water
• sediment
• Anabas testudineus
• Eichhornia crassipes

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Miss Siti Najiah Yusoff and Mr Ridwan Shamsudin for their technical assistance.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Azlan Kamari is an Associate Professor at Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia.

Norjan Yusof is an Associate Professor at Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia.

Hanisom Abdullah is an Associate Professor at Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak, Malaysia.

Akira Haraguchi is a Professor at Faculty of Environmental Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan.

Mohd Fahami Abas is a Chemist at Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia, Division of Technical Services, Perak, Malaysia.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Kurita Water and Environment Foundation, Japan [KWEF 15P011 / 2015-0150-102-11].