Natural and Anthropogenic Determinants of Freshwater Ecosystem Deterioration: An Environmental Forensic Study of the Langat River Basin, Malaysia

Aris, Ahmad Zaharin; Lim, Wan Ying; Looi, Ley Juen

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13425-3_21

Cited by 17 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Although Po-210 status in raw ( t = 3.22, p = 0.015) and treated water ( t = 2.924, p = 0.022) was significantly safe at 95% confidence level (i.e., t statistic) through drinking water, however, the overall efficiency of all the WTPs in the basin was about 59% which might be due to an inability to remove Po-210 from treated water by the conventional method used at the plants as well as the small number of water samples. The Serai and Langat WTPs have the higher Po-210 removal efficiencies from treated water, about 93% and 81%, respectively, might be because of lower iron concentration (175 µg/L) in the upstream region of the Langat River than the downstream (264 µg/L) [ 46 ] along with higher manganese and total dissolved solids at the downstream [ 47 , 48 ], although all the WTPs in the basin follow a conventional coagulation method.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Risk of Polonium 210 Ingestion via Drinking Water: An Experience of Malaysia

Ahmed

Alam

Mohamed

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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The presence of toxic polonium-210 (Po-210) in the environment is due to the decay of primordial uranium-238. Meanwhile, several studies have reported elevated Po-210 radioactivity in the rivers around the world due to both natural and anthropogenic factors. However, the primary source of Po-210 in Langat River, Malaysia might be the natural weathering of granite rock along with mining, agriculture and industrial activities. Hence, this is the first study to determine the Po-210 activity in the drinking water supply chain in the Langat River Basin to simultaneously predict the human health risks of Po-210 ingestion. Therefore, water samples were collected in 2015–2016 from the four stages of the water supply chain to analyze by Alpha Spectrometry. Determined Po-210 activity, along with the influence of environmental parameters such as time-series rainfall, flood incidents and water flow data (2005–2015), was well within the maximum limit for drinking water quality standard proposed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and World Health Organization. Moreover, the annual effective dose of Po-210 ingestion via drinking water supply chain indicates an acceptable carcinogenic risk for the populations in the Langat Basin at 95% confidence level; however, the estimated annual effective dose at the basin is higher than in many countries. Although several studies assume the carcinogenic risk of Po-210 ingestion to humans for a long time even at low activity, however, there is no significant causal study which links Po-210 ingestion via drinking water and cancer risk of the human. Since the conventional coagulation method is unable to remove Po-210 entirely from the treated water, introducing a two-layer water filtration system at the basin can be useful to achieve SDG target 6.1 of achieving safe drinking water supplies well before 2030, which might also be significant for other countries.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Risk of Polonium 210 Ingestion via Drinking Water: An Experience of Malaysia

Ahmed

Alam

Mohamed

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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“…Similarly, Wang et al [14] found high dissolved Cd concentration (61.74 × 10 −2 ± 90.12 × 10 −2 mg/L) in the Huaihe River, China. Aris et al [9] reported a low Cr concentration (6.7 × 10 −4 ± 9 × 10 −4 mg/L) in the Langat River; however, higher Cr concentration was recorded (7 × 10 −2 mg/L) water) at Langat River Basin, Malaysia. Three replicates of water samples were collected from the eight points of Langat River where the WTPs collect water for drinking water treatment purposes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Therefore, these metals have been listed as the toxic trace metals by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) if ingested via drinking water. The natural weathering of mineral rocks is considered as the main source of Cd and Cr in the Langat River, Malaysia [9,10]. Low concentration of dissolved Cd (1 × 10 −3 mg/L) was reported by Mamun et al [11] in the Langat River; however, Sarmani [12] and Yusuf [13] observed very high concentration of Cd in Langat River (35.56 × 10 −3 mg/L and 24 × 10 −3 mg/L, respectively).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Cadmium and Chromium Concentrations in Drinking Water to Predict Health Risk in Malaysia

Ahmed

Mokhtar

2020

IJERPH

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Although toxic Cd (cadmium) and Cr (chromium) in the aquatic environment are mainly from natural sources, human activities have increased their concentrations. Several studies have reported higher concentrations of Cd and Cr in the aquatic environment of Malaysia; however, the association between metal ingestion via drinking water and human health risk has not been established. This study collected water samples from four stages of the drinking water supply chain at Langat River Basin, Malaysia in 2015 to analyze the samples by inductivity coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Mean concentrations of Cd and Cr and the time-series river data (2004–2014) of these metals were significantly within the safe limit of drinking water quality standard proposed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the World Health Organization. Hazard quotient (HQ) and lifetime cancer risk (LCR) values of Cd and Cr in 2015 and 2020 also indicate no significant human health risk of its ingestion via drinking water. Additionally, management of pollution sources in the Langat Basin from 2004 to 2015 decreased Cr concentration in 2020 on the basis of autoregression moving average. Although Cd and Cr concentrations were found to be within the safe limits at Langat Basin, high concentrations of these metals have been found in household tap water, especially due to the contamination in the water distribution pipeline. Therefore, a two-layer water filtration system should be introduced in the basin to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 agenda of a better and more sustainable future for all, especially via SDG 6 of supplying safe drinking water at the household level.

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“…Apart from the natural weathering process, the use of fertilizers such as arsenal herbicides (i.e. lead arsenate) in the agricultural activities [20] mainly in palm oil plantation [21] as well as tin mining [5,22] are the important sources of Pb in the Langat River. Furthermore, the man-made activities such as electroplating, automobile exhaust, mining, etc.…”

Section: Dissolved Pb Concentration In Raw Watermentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on Lead (Pb) Contamination in the Drinking Water Supply at Langat River Basin, Malaysia

Alam¹

2017

MOJT

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Safe water supply at Langat River Basin, Malaysia is very crucial being Langat River the prime source of raw water in the basin. Although several study both river and supply water at the Langat Basin determined higher concentration of dissolved lead (Pb), however, there is no significant study that investigates the Pb concentration in the drinking water supply chain of the basin. Therefore, the review of secondary literature explores the status of dissolved Pb in drinking water supply chain at the Langat Basin in comparison with some other countries. Apart from man-made activities, the higher concentrations of dissolved Pb both in the raw and supply water are mainly from the natural weathering of Pb minerals within the granite rock of Titiwangsa Mountain Range of Langat Basin and the corrosion of galvanized iron pipe, respectively. Therefore, the use of reverse osmosis technology to treat both the raw and supply water at the basin could ensure safe drinking water supply as well as sound health of the populations.

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Natural and Anthropogenic Determinants of Freshwater Ecosystem Deterioration: An Environmental Forensic Study of the Langat River Basin, Malaysia

Cited by 17 publications

References 51 publications

Health Risk of Polonium 210 Ingestion via Drinking Water: An Experience of Malaysia

Health Risk of Polonium 210 Ingestion via Drinking Water: An Experience of Malaysia

Assessing Cadmium and Chromium Concentrations in Drinking Water to Predict Health Risk in Malaysia

A Review on Lead (Pb) Contamination in the Drinking Water Supply at Langat River Basin, Malaysia

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