Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary

Environmentalists have raised their concerns that pollution from development along Pulai River Estuary will have an impact on marine ecosystem. In 1994 eleven seagrass species were found in the area. However, when this study were conducted in 2011 only seven seagrass species were identified at the a...

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Main Author: Ahmad, Faridahanim
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: 2016
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Online Access:http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78717/1/FaridahanimAhmadPFKA2016.pdf
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spelling my-utm-ep.787172018-08-30T08:04:00Z Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary 2016-06 Ahmad, Faridahanim TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) Environmentalists have raised their concerns that pollution from development along Pulai River Estuary will have an impact on marine ecosystem. In 1994 eleven seagrass species were found in the area. However, when this study were conducted in 2011 only seven seagrass species were identified at the area, namely Enhalus acoroides, Halophila minor, Halophila spinulosa, Halophila ovalis, Thalassia hemprichii, Halodule uninervis and Cymodocea serrulata. The seagrass can uptake metals and therefore plays the role as bioindicator. Field work was conducted between July 2011 and April 2014 where seagrass, water and sediment were collected for analysis. The samples were analysed using Perkin Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer Model AAnalyst 400 for copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb). Flow Injection Mercury System Perkin Elmer model FIMS 100 was used for mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) analysis. Analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation coefficients of metal concentrations were carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) for seagrass tissues, seawater and sediment. Esri ArcGIS software was used to determine the metals distribution. The seagrass percent covers on the seagrass bed were determined by transect method. The study shows that Halophila minor was the most abundant species covering Pulai seagrass bed at 27% followed by Halophila ovalis (18%), Halophila spinulosa (8.8%), Enhalus acoroides (6.4%), Thallasia hemprichii (5.3%), Cymodocea serrulata (1%), and Halophila uninervis (0.3%). Among the seven seagrass species found, Halophila ovalis have the highest accumulation of metal and indicates positive significant correlation to translocation of metal in seagrass tissues, hence it meets the criteria to be selected as a bioindicator. Mapping using Esri ArcGIS, shows the metals distribution originated from land use. Monitoring conducted on 4th of April, 2014 indicated that land reclamation for Forest City has changed the condition of seagrass bed hydrodynamic and trophic state from upper-mesotrophic to light-eutrophic. Quantitative water, sediment and seagrass fugacity/equivalance mass balanced model was developed to describe the movement pattern of metals that ends up in the seagrass bed. Estimation rates of As, Cu, Cd, Hg and Pb concentration in seawater are at 3.18 µg/L, 32.35 µg/L, 39.94 µg/L, 4.99 µg/L and 99.86 µg/L, respectively for 1 day. 2016-06 Thesis http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78717/ http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78717/1/FaridahanimAhmadPFKA2016.pdf application/pdf en public http://dms.library.utm.my:8080/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:106003 phd doctoral Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Faculty of Civil Engineering Faculty of Civil Engineering
institution Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
collection UTM Institutional Repository
language English
topic TA Engineering (General)
Civil engineering (General)
spellingShingle TA Engineering (General)
Civil engineering (General)
Ahmad, Faridahanim
Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary
description Environmentalists have raised their concerns that pollution from development along Pulai River Estuary will have an impact on marine ecosystem. In 1994 eleven seagrass species were found in the area. However, when this study were conducted in 2011 only seven seagrass species were identified at the area, namely Enhalus acoroides, Halophila minor, Halophila spinulosa, Halophila ovalis, Thalassia hemprichii, Halodule uninervis and Cymodocea serrulata. The seagrass can uptake metals and therefore plays the role as bioindicator. Field work was conducted between July 2011 and April 2014 where seagrass, water and sediment were collected for analysis. The samples were analysed using Perkin Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer Model AAnalyst 400 for copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb). Flow Injection Mercury System Perkin Elmer model FIMS 100 was used for mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) analysis. Analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation coefficients of metal concentrations were carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) for seagrass tissues, seawater and sediment. Esri ArcGIS software was used to determine the metals distribution. The seagrass percent covers on the seagrass bed were determined by transect method. The study shows that Halophila minor was the most abundant species covering Pulai seagrass bed at 27% followed by Halophila ovalis (18%), Halophila spinulosa (8.8%), Enhalus acoroides (6.4%), Thallasia hemprichii (5.3%), Cymodocea serrulata (1%), and Halophila uninervis (0.3%). Among the seven seagrass species found, Halophila ovalis have the highest accumulation of metal and indicates positive significant correlation to translocation of metal in seagrass tissues, hence it meets the criteria to be selected as a bioindicator. Mapping using Esri ArcGIS, shows the metals distribution originated from land use. Monitoring conducted on 4th of April, 2014 indicated that land reclamation for Forest City has changed the condition of seagrass bed hydrodynamic and trophic state from upper-mesotrophic to light-eutrophic. Quantitative water, sediment and seagrass fugacity/equivalance mass balanced model was developed to describe the movement pattern of metals that ends up in the seagrass bed. Estimation rates of As, Cu, Cd, Hg and Pb concentration in seawater are at 3.18 µg/L, 32.35 µg/L, 39.94 µg/L, 4.99 µg/L and 99.86 µg/L, respectively for 1 day.
format Thesis
qualification_name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.)
qualification_level Doctorate
author Ahmad, Faridahanim
author_facet Ahmad, Faridahanim
author_sort Ahmad, Faridahanim
title Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary
title_short Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary
title_full Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary
title_fullStr Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary
title_full_unstemmed Seagrass interaction with heavy metals at Pulai River Estuary
title_sort seagrass interaction with heavy metals at pulai river estuary
granting_institution Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Faculty of Civil Engineering
granting_department Faculty of Civil Engineering
publishDate 2016
url http://eprints.utm.my/id/eprint/78717/1/FaridahanimAhmadPFKA2016.pdf
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