Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 23 No 6 (2019): 1054 - 1066

RARE EARTH ELEMENTS DISTRIBUTION CHARACTERISTICS IN DISSOLVED AND PARTICULATE FRACTION, AND IN SEDIMENT

OF BRUNEI BAY, BORNEO

(Ciri-Ciri Taburan Unsur Nadir Bumi dalam Fraksi Terlarut dan Partikulat, dan Sedimen di Teluk Brunei, Borneo)

Noor Azhar Mohd Shazili¹*, Adiana Ghazali², Joseph Bidai¹

¹Institute of Oceanography and Environment

²Faculty of Science and Marine Environment

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: nazhar@umt.edu.my

Received: 30 October 2018 ; Accepted: 26 September 2019

Abstract

The rare earth element (REE) concentrations in the Bay of Brunei were measured in the riverine, main bay area and the South China Sea. The abundance of REE in dissolved, particulate and sediment decreased from light REE (LREE) > medium REE (MREE) > heavy REE (HREE). The ΣREE concentrations were higher in January 2014 as compared to July 2013 in river and estuary sampling sites in all matrices, but more so in the particulate fraction. LREE was found to be highly enriched over HREE in sediment with La/Yb of 22.3 in July 2013 and 14.9 in January 2014. LREE enrichment occurred to a lesser degree in particulate fraction in seawater with La/Yb in the range of 11.7 to 12.8 in July 2013 and 8.4 to 10.6 in January 2014. In the dissolved fraction, LREE was enriched in July 2013 with La/Yb of 3.3 – 3.5 but in January 2014, during the wet Northeast Monsoon season, LREE was depleted with La/Yb of 0.48 in bottom water and 0.74 in surface water. Enhanced scavenging by the higher SPM content entering the bay during the wet season is thought to be the cause of the removal of LREE from the dissolved fraction.

Keywords: rare earth element, dissolved, particulate, sediment, La/Yb

Abstrak

Kepekatan unsur nadir bumi (REE) di Teluk Brunei diukur di kawasan sungai, kawasan teluk dan Laut China Selatan. Kepekatan REE dalam bentuk terlarut, partikulat dan sedimen berkurang dari REE ringan (LREE)> REE sederhana berat (MREE)> REE berat (HREE). Kepekatan ΣREE lebih tinggi pada bulan Januari 2014 berbanding pada bulan Julai 2013 di kawasan sungai dan muara di dalam semua jenis sampel tetapi lebih banyak lagi dalam pecahan partikulat. Didapati LREE sangat diperkaya dengan HREE dalam sedimen dengan La/Yb bernilai 22.3 pada bulan Julai 2013 dan 14.9 pada Januari 2014. Pengkayaan LREE berkurangan di dalam fraksi partikulat di dalam air laut dengan La/Yb bernilai antara 11.7 hingga 12.8 pada bulan Julai 2013 dan 8.4 hingga 10.6 pada bulan Januari 2014. Dalam fraksi terlarut, LREE diperkayakan pada Julai 2013 dengan La/Yb bernilai dari 3.3 - 3.5 tetapi pada Januari 2014, semasa musim Monson Timur Laut yang berkadar hujan yang tinggi, LREE rendah dengan nilai La/Yb 0.48 di air dasar dan 0.74 di permukaan air. Peningkatan penyingkiran oleh kandungan SPM yang lebih tinggi yang memasuki teluk semasa musim hujan dicadangkan sebagai penyebab penyingkiran LREE dari fraksi terlarut.

Kata kunci: unsur nadir bumi, terlarut, partikulat, sedimen, La/Yb

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