Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 23 No 6 (2019): 1044 - 1053

DISTRIBUTION OF DISSOLVED ALUMINIUM (dAl) IN SEAWATER AT PULAU PERHENTIAN, TERENGGANU

(Taburan Aluminium Terlarut (dAl) di dalam Air Laut di Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu)

Khairul Nizam Mohamed^1,2*, Edriana Godon¹, Shamsuddin Johan^1,2, Fairuza Shaheera Jaafar¹

¹Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies

²Environmental Forensic Research Unit, Faculty of Environmental Studies

Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.

*Corresponding author: k_nizam@upm.edu.my

Received: 30 October 2018; Accepted: 26 September 2019

Abstract

The distribution of dissolved aluminum (dAl) was determined in seawater collected from Pulau Perhentian in November 2015 and April 2016, in order to identify a possible effect of the Northeast monsoon on dAl. Seawater sample profiles were collected at five different stations at 4-5 different depths. The concentration of dAl was determined directly by using cathodic stripping voltammetry on the hanging mercury drop electrode. This method was optimized in order to fit the determination of dAl concentration in seawater at this study area. During the measurements in November 2015, the concentration of dAl was found to be between 31.1 μg/L and 98.7 μg/L at that surface layer, and was found to be increasing with depth. On the other hand, the concentration ranged between 30.9 μg/L and 167.3 μg/L at surface layer and decreased with depth in April 2016. This indicates that the distribution of dAl throughout the water column was different between the two periods. It suggests that there was a possible source of Al from the surface sediment due to the high current turbulence during the Northeast monsoon season in this area, as mentioned by previous studies.

Keywords: dissolved aluminium, seawater, biological uptake, atmospheric input, monsoon

Abstrak

Taburan aluminium terlarut (dAl) telah ditentukan di dalam air laut yang diperolehi dari Pulau Perhentian pada November 2015 dan April 2016 bagi menentukan kebarangkalian kesan Monsun Timur laut ke atas dAl. Sampel air laut secara turus telah diambil di lima stesen yang berbeza pada 4-5 kedalaman yang berbeza. Kandungan kepekatannya telah ditentukan secara terus dengan menggunakan kaedah pelucutan voltametri pada hujung elektrod merkuri. Kaedah ini telah dioptimumkan bagi menentuukur kandungan kepekatan dAl di dalam air laut di kawasan ini. Kandungan kepekatan dAl adalah julat diantara 31.1-98.7 μg/L pada lapisan permukaan dan ianya meningkat dengan kedalaman air pada November 2015. Di sebaliknya pula, kandungan kepekatannya adalah diantara 30.9-167.3 μg/L pada lapisan permukaan dan berkurang dengan kedalaman air pada April 2016. Ini menunjukkan bahawa, taburan dAl di sepanjang turus air adalah berbeza di antara kedua-dua masa tersebut. Ini mencadangkan bahawa kemugkinan sumber Al adalah dari permukaan sedimen yang disebabkan oleh arus pergolakan yang tinggi semasa musim monsun Timur laut di kawasan ini, sepertimana yang telah dicadangkan sebelum ini.

Kata kunci: aluminium terlarut, air laut, pengambilan secara biologi, input atmosfera, monsun

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