Ecological risk assessment of elemental pollution in sediment from Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Sabah

Abstract

Abstract. Eleven (11) surface sediment samples were collected from Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Sabah. The neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques were applied for the determinations metal contents and their distributions in sediment samples. The results shown that Arsenic (As) concentrations are enriched at all sampling stations except for station TAR 09, with enrichment factor (EF) values ranged from 1.1 to 7.2. The elements such as Cd, Cr, Sb and U showed enrichment at a few stations and other elements (Cr, Cu, Pb, Th, Zn) shown as background levels in all stations. Degrees of contamination in this study were calculated base on concentrations of six elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn). TAR 11 station can be categorized as very high degree of contamination with degree of contamination value of 43.2. TAR 07 station can be categorized as a considerable degree of contamination (contamination value of 16.9). Six stations (TAR 01, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08, 10) showed moderate degree of contamination, with contamination values ranging from 8.0 to 16.0. TAR 02 and TAR 09 stations showed low degree of contaminations (< 8.0). TAR 11 showed very high ecological risk index (R I ) with R I value is 916. TAR 07 and TAR 10 showed moderate ecological risk index with R I value 263 and 213, respectively. Other stations showed low ecological risk with R I values ranging from 42.3 to 117 (< 150). Very high ecological risk index could give an adverse effect to the benthic organism. The data obtained from the enrichment factor, degree of contamination and ecological risk index provided vital information, which can be used for future comparison. Information from the present study will be useful to the relevant government agencies and authorities in preparing preventive action to control direct discharge of heavy metals from industries, agro-base activities and domestic waste to the rivers and the sea.

Geo-accumulation Index, Enrichment Factor and Quantification of Contamination of Heavy Metals in Soil Receiving Cassava Mill Effluents in A Rural Community in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

“…Fe is the acceptable normalization element (Deely and Fergusson 1994;Elias and Gbadegesin, 2011;Elias et al, 2014;Kowalska et al, 2016;Bhutiani et al, 2017;Mazurek et al, 2017), hence it was used for the calculation of EF. Authors have variously reported that iron has the highest concentration among heavy metals in cassava mill effluents (Adejumo and Ola, 2011;Olorunfemi and Lolodi, 2011;Orhue et al, 2014;Omomowo et al, 2015).…”

“…Typically, iron has a relatively high natural concentration and is therefore not expected to be substantially enriched from anthropogenic sources (Bhutiani et al, 2017). EF is mathematically expressed based on the method previously described and used by Bhutiani et al (2017), Elias et al (2014), Tang et al (2014), El-Metwally et al (2017), Gasiorek et al (2017), Kowalska et al (2016).…”

“…Some of these indices such as enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation factor (Igeo) and Quantification of contamination (QoC) have been applied by authors in assessing environmental risk assessment (Muller, 1969;Sutherland, 2000;Asaah et al, 2006;Elias et al, 2014;Tang et al, 2014;Vowotor et al, 2014;Ghaleno et al, 2015;Ghazaryan et al, 2015;Hassaan et al, 2016;Todorova et al, 2016;Wang et al, 2016;Bhutiani et al, 2017). Hence, this study aimed at assessing the Igeo, EF, QoC of heavy metals in soil receiving cassava mill effluents in a rural community of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.…”

Assessment of Pollution Load Indices of Heavy Metals in Cassava Mill Effluents Contaminated Soil: a Case Study of Small-scale Processors in a Rural Community in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

“…CD is the sum of all contamination factors, which provides information about total contamination in a particular sampling location (Singovszka et al, 2014;Bhutiani et al, 2017). Contamination degree is often expressed based on the formula previously described by Hakanson (1980) and have been applied by Bhutiani et al (2017), Uriah and Shehu (2014), Singovszka et al (2014), Soliman et al (2015), Todorova et al (2016), Ghaleno et al (2015), Fiori et al (2013), Karydas et al (2015), Zhu et al (2012), Elias et al (2014), Mohseni-Bandpei et al (2016), Swarnalatha et al (2013), Hassaan et al (2016), Vowotor et al (2014), Ghazaryan et al (2015), Qingjie et al (2008), Odukoya et al (2016).…”

“…Specifically, pollution index and or/ contamination indices is an important tool for processing, analyzing, and conveying raw environmental information to decision makers, managers, technicians, environmentalist and the general public at large (Caeiro et al, 2005;Sarala andSabitha, 2012). 1980;Sutherland, 2000;Tijani et al, 2004;Yu et al, 2004;Qingjie et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2010Wang et al, , 2016Liang et al, 2011;Suresh et al, 2011;Yang et al 2011;Sarala and Sabitha, 2012;Zhu et al, 2012;Fiori et al, 2013;Swarnalatha et al, 2013;Elias et al, 2014;Jiang et al, 2014;Singovszka et al, 2014;Tang et al, 2014;Uriah and Shehu, 2014;Vowotor et al, 2014;Al-Anbari et al, 2015;Ghaleno et al, 2015;Ghazaryan et al, 2015;Karydas et al, 2015;Soliman et al, 2015;Hassaan et al, 2016;Mohseni-Bandpei et al, 2016;Todorova et al, 2016;Bhutiani et al, 2017). But information on pollution load of heavy metals resulting from the discharge of cassava mill effluents into the soil is scanty in literature.…”