POLLUTION STUDY and BIOREMEDIATION of HEAVY METAL in AQUEOUS and SEDIMENT PHASES of SUNGAI PINANG RIVER BASIN by FARAH NAEMAH BI
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POLLUTION STUDY AND BIOREMEDIATION OF HEAVY METAL IN AQUEOUS AND SEDIMENT PHASES OF SUNGAI PINANG RIVER BASIN by FARAH NAEMAH BINTI MOHD SAAD Thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, all praise to Allah that by His will, I am finally able to finish up my thesis. My sincere appreciation and deep gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Nik Norulaini Nik Ab. Rahman and Associate Prof. Dr. Abbas Fadhl Mubarek Al-Karkhi, my co-supervisor for their valuable guidance, advice, suggestion, constructive criticisms and utmost support throughout the research. My sincere thanks is extended to the staff of related goverment agencies which are the Department of Drainage and Irrigation (DID), Department of Environment (DOE) and Penang Municipal Council for allowing me to browse through the related and important reports, maps and data during the research study. I dedicated my utmost gratitude and thanks to my late father, Mohd Saad b. Ahmad, my mother, Mahiya bt. Mahmud and my lovely husband, Khairul b. Mohd Arshad for their constant support, understanding, love and motivation throughout the study. Not forgetting my brothers, sister in-laws and those from both sides of my family for their support and understanding. My special thanks to my colleagues and friends who have spent some of their precious time, support and knowledge in helping me throughout this study especially Pn. Fatehah, Cik Fera, Pn. Yana, Cik Zuhida, En. Abu Hanipah, Pn. Shalima, Pn. Sabariah and En. Jamilul Firdaus at the School of Industrial Technology. Thanks are in order to En. Fazli, En. Khairul and En. Sazali where their technical assistances are appreciated. Last but not least, my appreciation to Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) and Ministry of Higher Education for offering me their Academic Staff Training Scheme (ASTS) fellowship to continue my post-graduate study. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements ii Table of Contents iii List of Figures ix List of Tables xiii List of Plates xvi List of Abbreviations xviii List of Symbols xxii Abstrak xxiii Abstract xxvi CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1.1 General. 1 1.2 Water Quality of Rivers in Malaysia. 1 1.3 Sungai Pinang River Basin. 4 1.4 Sources of River Pollution. 6 1.5 Water Quality Management System. 9 1.6 Heavy Metals in River Water and Sediments. 10 1.7 Bioremediation study. 12 1.8 Problem statement. 14 1.9 Objectives of study. 15 1.10 Outline of Thesis Structure. 15 CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 River Water Quality and Catchment Management. 17 2.2 Water Quality and Pollution of Rivers in Malaysia. 21 iii 2.2.1 Major Water Pollution of Rivers. 23 2.3 Sources of Pollution. 25 2.3.1 Point Sources 27 2.3.2 Non-point Sources 30 2.4 Water and Sediment Quality 2.4.1 Water Quality 37 2.4.2 Water Quality Assessment 37 2.4.3 Sediment Quality 38 2.4.4 Sediment Quality Assessment 40 2.4.5 Heavy Metals in the environment. 41 2.4.6 Sources of Heavy Metals 42 2.4.7 Toxicology of Heavy Metals 45 2.4.8 Heavy Metals Pollution Assessment 47 2.4.9 Pollution of Heavy Metals in the Environment 48 2.5 Bioremediation 49 2.5.1 Bioremediation of Heavy Metals in the Sediment 51 2.6 Summary of literature review. 53 CHAPTER 3 – MATERIALS AND METHODS 3.1 Study Area 55 3.2 Sampling location 55 iv 3.3 Water sampling methodology. 58 3.4 Water sample handling and analysis. 58 3.5 Water Quality Index (WQI) 60 3.6 Sediment samplings and handlings. 63 3.6.1 pH of sediments 64 3.6.2 Moisture content 64 3.6.3 Particle size distribution 64 3.6.4 Sediments total organic carbon 65 3.6.5 Nutrients content 65 3.6.6 Metal content 65 3.7 Sediment Quality Assessment 66 3.8 Identification of pollution sources. 70 3.9 Bioremediation treatment procedure. 3.9.1 Microbiological study. 70 3.9.2 River sediment characteristics. 71 3.9.3 Bacteria preparation. 71 3.9.4 Bacteria counting. 72 3.9.5 Bioremediation experimental design. 72 v CHAPTER 4 – RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Description of the study area. 74 4.1.1 River systems in the state of Penang. 74 4.1.2 Background of the Study Area. 75 4.1.3 Climate, Weather and Geological Characteristics of Study Area 78 4.1.4 Water Pollution in Sungai Pinang. 81 4.2 Water Quality Assessment. 82 4.2.1 Parameters classification on eight sampling locations of 82 Sungai Pinang catchment area during dry and wet seasons. 4.2.2 Parameter characteristics at eight sampling locations 90 in Sungai Pinang catchment. 4.2.3 Water quality index of selected sampling locations. 96 4.2.4 Correlation matrix of water quality parameters for 99 eight sampling locations during dry and wet seasons. 4.3 Sediment Quality. 4.3.1 Physical characteristics of sediment samples. 103 4.3.2 Chemical characteristics of sediment samples. 106 4.3.3 Correlation matrix of sediment quality parameters. 115 4.4 Land use and sources of pollution. 117 4.5 Heavy metals content in water and sediment of Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. vi 4.5.1 Heavy metals concentration in water and sediment 127 phases of selected sampling locations within Sungai Pinang. 4.5.2 Descriptive analysis of heavy metals in water and sediment 141 samples of selected locations within Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. 4.5.3 Correlation coefficient matrix of heavy metals concentrations 145 with water quality parameters during dry and wet seasons, and with sediment properties of Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. 4.5.4 Assessment of heavy metal contamination in water and 150 sediment samples of selected sampling locations within Sungai Pinang compared to quality guidelines. 4.5.5 Assessment of heavy metals contamination in sediments of 155 sampling locations within Sungai Pinang and its tributaries by using indices. 4.6 Bioremediation Study. 4.6.1 Identification of the unknown bacteria. 164 4.6.2 Bioremediation of heavy metals in sediment. 4.6.2.1 Characteristics of sediment sample for bioremediation of 168 heavy metals. 4.6.2.2 Bioremediation of heavy metals in sediment sample based 169 on different treatment techniques. vii CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION 180 REFERENCES APPENDICES viii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1.1 Status of water quality monitored at selected river monitoring 2 stations in Malaysia Figure 1.2 River water quality trend (2005-2009) 3 Figure 1.3 Sungai Pinang River Basin. 5 Figure 2.1 Components of IRBM 19 Figure 2.2 The distribution of the point source of water pollution 22 recorded by DOE in 2009. Figure 2.3 Sources and sinks of heavy metals in environment. 43 Figure 2.4 Different microbial processes for metal uptake and 52 sequentration. Figure 3.1 Sampling sites of the study area: Sungai Pinang and its 57 tributaries. Arrow indicates water flow direction. Figure 4.1 Location of the study area within dotted red lines. 76 Figure 4.2 Geological map of the study area. 80 Figure 4.3 Water quality status for river basins of Peninsular Malaysia 81 in 2008. Figure 4.4 Pollutant concentration patterns of DO, BOD5, COD, AN, pH and 84 TSS recorded by each sampling station within Sungai Pinang during (a) dry and (b) wet seasons. ix Figure 4.5 The mean of water quality index recorded by selected sampling 97 location within Sungai Pinang River Basin for dry and wet seasons. Figure 4.6 pH value of sediment collected from selected locations 107 within Sungai Pinang river basin. Figure 4.7 The percentage of moisture content measured in sediment 108 from Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. Figure 4.8 The percentage of total organic carbon in sediment taken 110 Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. Figure 4.9 The amount of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) measured in 112 sediment taken from Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. 3- Figure 4.10 Pollutant concentration pattern of phosphorus (PO4 ) in sediment 113 collected from Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. Figure 4.11 Types of sewage treatment plants in study area. 122 Figure 4.12 Locations of sewage treatment plants within the study area. 124 Figure 4.13 Type of industries identified within Sungai Pinang and its 125 tributaries. Figure 4.14 a The mean concentrations of cadmium in water samples of 129 Sungai Pinang and its tributaries during dry and rainy seasons. Figure 4.14 b The mean concentrations of cadmium in sediment samples 129 of Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. x Figure 4.15 a The mean concentrations of lead in water samples of Sungai 131 Pinang and its tributaries during dry and rainy seasons. Figure 4.15 b The mean concentrations of lead collected from sediment 132 samples of Sungai Pinang and its tributaries. Figure 4.16 a The mean concentrations of zinc in water samples of Sungai 134 Pinang and its tributaries during dry and rainy seasons. Figure 4.16 b The mean concentrations of zinc in sediment samples of Sungai 134 Pinang and its tributaries. Figure 4.17 a The mean concentrations of copper in water samples of Sungai 138 Pinang and its tributaries during dry and rainy seasons. Figure 4.17 b The mean concentrations of copper in sediment samples of Sungai 138 Pinang and its tributaries. Figure 4.18 a The mean concentrations of iron in water samples of Sungai 139 Pinang and its tributaries during dry and rainy seasons. Figure 4.18 b The mean concentrations of iron in sediment samples of Sungai 140 Pinang and its tributaries.