IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/zib/zbnwcm/v1y2017i1p4-6.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Heavy metal and insecticide distribution and accumulation at the Bertam Agricultural Watershed in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia

Author

Listed:
  • Ismail B.S

    (School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia)

  • Haron S. H.

    (School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia)

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the status of heavy metal concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe in the water bodies of Bertam River, Cameron Highlands, which traverses agricultural areas. Water samples were randomly collected in three replicates from 10 sampling points along the river. Then, the samples were tested for metal concentrations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The insecticides cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, which are widely used by farmers, were analyzed. The water samples were drawn into a C18 cartridge. Cypermethrin or chlorpyrifos absorbed by the cartridge were extracted using 6 mL of acetone and then injected into the gas chromatography–electron capture detector. In this study, the highest mean concentration was Fe (96.04 ± 90.43 ppb), followed by Zn (5.68 ± 0.2.34 ppb), Cu (5.13 ± 2.98 ppb), Cr (1.53 ± 0.19 ppb), Ni (0.85 ± 0.22 ppb), Pb (0.85 ± 1.61 ppb), and Cd (0.027 ± 0.02 ppb); hence, Fe> Zn> Cu> Pb> Cr> Ni> Cd. However, the concentrations of selected heavy metals in the water samples were below the standards recommended by the WHO. The overall average concentrations of chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin in the dry season ranged from 0.40 ppm to 2.37 ppm and from 0.001 ppb to 0.13 ppb, respectively. By contrast, the overall average concentrations in the rainy season ranged from 0.04 ppm to 0.80 ppm and from 0.00 ppb to 0.010 ppb, respectively. Results showed that runoff from the agricultural area affected water quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Ismail B.S & Haron S. H., 2017. "Heavy metal and insecticide distribution and accumulation at the Bertam Agricultural Watershed in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia," Water Conservation & Management (WCM), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 1(1), pages 4-6, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:zib:zbnwcm:v:1:y:2017:i:1:p:4-6
    DOI: 10.26480/wcm.01.2017.04.06
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.watconman.org/download/5450/
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.26480/wcm.01.2017.04.06?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zib:zbnwcm:v:1:y:2017:i:1:p:4-6. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Zibeline International Publishing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.watconman.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.