Distribution of Trace Elements in Groundwater around Beris Lalang Landfill Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

The present study was conducted in the vicinity of Beris Lalang landfill, part of state Kelantan, Malaysia to determine the distribution of trace elements concentration in groundwater. A total of eleven groundwater samples and two surface water samples were analyzed for lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr) and aluminium (Al) using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). These probe elements were further categorized as toxic metals (i.e. Pb), transition metals (i.e. Mn), metallic elements (i.e. Cu, Fe, Zn, Cr), and non-metallic elements (i.e. Al). This study shows that few groundwater samples have marginally high concentration of Mn, Pb, Fe and Cr as per W.H.O. standard for potable water. The high concentration of metal ions in groundwater is likely due to untreated effluents from landfill site, municipal wastewater, fertilizers and other activities. To help identifying the contamination sources, the study recommends that regular monitoring of the groundwater quality should be undertaken both temporally and spatially that can contribute in public health and as well agricultural uses.

Community Respiratory Symptoms Survey Among Residents in Close Proximity to a Landfill in a Tropical Rural Area

“…Communities near landfills and open dumps are susceptible to health effects associated with exposure to landfill gases. There have been several epidemiological studies which have investigated whether there is a higher than usual incidence of adverse health events such as cancer, asthma, and eczema in populations living near landfill sites (Mataloni et al, 2016;Rusaik, 2016;Khan et al, 2017;Esphylin et al, 2018). A study conducted by Mataloni et al (2016) reported that the public who live within 5 km of a landfill site are exposed to the health risk as they tend to get lung cancer, as well as deaths and hospitalizations for respiratory diseases.…”

“…Previous studies were conducted to determine the effects of the Beris Lalang Landfill on the environment and health (Huat et al, 2012;Kamaruddin et al, 2016;Khan et al, 2017;Fadhullah et al, 2019). The study by Huat et al (2012) showed that the rate of helminth infection was 37 percent among children in Beris Lalang, with Trichuris trichiura being the predominantly helminth isolated.…”

“…The high amount of organic waste is due to high consumption of dairy products, processed and unprocessed foods (Kamaruddin et al, 2016). Science and Management Volume 16 Number 1, January 2021: 128-143 Khan et al (2017) reported that few groundwater samples have high concentrations of manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), Iron (Fe) and chromium (Cr) as per World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for potable water. The high concentration of metal ions in groundwater is likely due to untreated effluents from landfill site, municipal wastewater, fertilizers and other activities.…”