Heavy Metal and Water Turbidity Impact on Corroded Patin Fish Cages in temerloh River, Pahang, Malaysia

Abstract

In December 2015 and usually once in a year, the population of Temerloh'spatin fish was the environmental issue gripping Pahang. The fishes, bred in special breeding cages made of y-bar steel along the riverbanks of Sungai Pahang are threatened with a massive die-off. This low water level problems becomes worsen as more forests in the upper reaches of the Ulu Jelai and Ulu Tembeling areas are cleared for timber. Instead of that, due to the low water level and high water turbidity, y-bar steel Patin fish cages facing corrosion problem in unpredicted time. Though, this paper is to investigate the impact of heavy metal and water turbidity level on corroded y-bar steel at specified location adjacent to the fish cages. In this work, samples were submerged into the Pahang river for 56 days in February 2016. The sample then must be weighing before and after being submerged. The river water samples were took out at specific time and subjected to heavy metal and water turbidity test. It was found that, the concentration of Cu and Fe and also water turbidity level that occur in water caused by fish pallet or fish food also contribute and increase the weight loss of the Y-bar.