Malaysian
Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 17 No 3 (2013): 436 – 444
DETERMINATION
OF HOT SPRINGS PHYSICO-CHEMICAL WATER QUALITY POTENTIALLY USE FOR BALNEOTHERAPY
(Penentuan
Kualiti Fizik-Kimia Air Kolam Air Panas Yang Berpotensi Digunakan Untuk
Balneoterapi)
Zaini Hamzah1*, Nurul
Latiffah Abd Rani1, Ahmad Saat2 and Ab Khalik Wood1
1Faculty of Applied Sciences,
2Institute of Science (IOS),
Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
*Corresponding author: zaini648@salam.uitm.edu.my
Abstract
Hot springs
areas are attractive places for locals and foreigners either for excursion or
for medical purposes such as for healing of various types of diseases. This is
because the hot spring water is believed rich in salt, sulfur, and sulfate in
the water body. For many thousands of years, people have used hot springs water
both for cozy bathing and therapy. Balneotherapy is the term used where the
patients were immersed in hot mineral water baths emerged as an important
treatment in Europe around 1800’s. In view of this fact, a study of hot springs
water was performed with the objective to determine the concentration of Na+,
K+, Ca2+, S, SO42- and Cl-
in hot springs water around the State of Selangor, Malaysia. Energy dispersive
X-ray Fluorescent Spectrometry (EDXRF) was used to measure the concentrations
of Na+, K+, Ca2+ and S meanwhile for SO42-
and Cl- anion, Ion Chromatography (IC) was used. The concentration of Na+ obtained
for filtered and unfiltered samples ranged from 33.68 to 80.95 and 37.03 to
81.91 ppm respectively. Meanwhile, the corresponding concentrations of K+
ranged from 1.47 to 45.72 and 1.70 to 56.81 ppm. Concentrations of Ca2+
ranged from 2.44 to 18.45 and 3.75 to 19.77 ppm. The concentration of S
obtained for filtered and unfiltered samples ranged from 1.87 to 12.41 and 6.25
to 12.86 ppm. The concentrations for SO42- and Cl- obtained
ranged from 0.15 to 1.51 ppm and 7.06 to 20.66 ppm for filtered samples. The
data signified higher concentration of salt and other important nutrients in
hot spring water.
Keywords: hot
springs water, balneotherapy, elemental, anions
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