Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 23 No 6 (2019): 1001 - 1008

SOURCES AND COMPOSITION OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS IN THE RIVER AND ESTUARIAL SEDIMENT ALONG THE VICINITY OF KUALA KEDAH, MALAYSIA

(Sumber dan Komposisi Hidrokarbon Aromatik Polisiklik dalam Sedimen Sungai dan Muara di Sepanjang Persekitaran Kuala Kedah, Malaysia)

Terence Ricky Chiu¹ and Masni Mohd Ali^1,2*

¹School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology,

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

²Institute of Oceanography and Environment,

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: masni@ukm.edu.my

Received: 30 October 2018; Accepted: 26 September 2019

Abstract

Sixteen surface sediment samples were taken along the vicinity of Kuala Kedah, especially the Kedah River and estuary areas. The surface sediments taken were identified and quantified by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The knowledge and information gained from the study show that the concentration of individual Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds was known to be between 1.09 ng/g to 59.01 ng/g dry weight sediment. The river mouth sampling point was found to have the highest total PAHs concentration of 226.03 ng/g sediment dry weight. On the contrary, the S2 sampling point was found to have the lowest concentration of total PAHs with 7.20 ng/g sediment dry weight. Among all the incorporated sampling points, the highest number of an individual compound of PAHs found was that of benzo[ghi]perylene. On the other hand, acenaphthylene, which is another individual compound of PAHs, showed the lowest concentration. Apart from the estimation of the total and individual PAHs concentrations, the molecular indices and the Low Molecular Weight (LMW)/High Molecular Weight (HMW) of phenanthrene/anthracene and fluoranthene/pyrene were analyzed in this study to establish whether the sediment sources were pyrolytic or pyrogenic based. Lastly, based on the study of the sources of the PAHs, it was established that the study site’s sources consisted of mixed PAHs sources with a dominance of pyrogenic sources of fossil fuel combustion, vehicle engine combustion, open wood combustion and charcoal combustion; which were the main causes that contributed towards the diversity of sources in the sediments along the vicinity of Kuala Kedah river and estuary areas.

Keywords: PAHs, surface sediments, molecular indices, pyrogenic, pyrolytic

Abstrak

Enam belas sampel sedimen permukaan telah diambil di sekitar kawasan Kuala Kedah terutama di kawasan sungai dan muara. Sedimen permukaan yang di ambil ditentu dan dikuantifikasi oleh kromatografi gas-spektrometri jisim (GC-MS). Maklumat yang diperoleh daripada kajian menunjukkan bahawa kepekatan individu sebatian HAP adalah antara 1.09 ng/g hingga 59.01 ng/g berat kering sedimen. Kawasan persampelan di muara sungai didapati mempunyai jumlah kepekatan tertinggi HAP iaitu 226.03 ng/g berat kering sedimen. Sebaliknya, titik pensampelan S2 mempunyai kepekatan HAP terendah dengan 7.20 ng/g berat kering sedimen. Bilangan tertinggi individu HAP yang dijumpai adalah benzo[ghi]perilena untuk keseluruhan titik pensampelan. Sebaliknya, asenaftilena menunjukkan kepekatan yang paling rendah. Selain daripada anggaran jumlah dan kepekatan individu PAH, indeks molekul fenantrena/antrasena, benzo[a]antrasena/krisena, fluoranthena/pirena dan berat molekul rendah (BMR)/berat molekul tinggi (BMT) juga dianalisis dalam kajian ini untuk menentukan sama ada sumber sedimen adalah pirolitik atau pirogenik. Akhir sekali, berdasarkan penemuan sumber-sumber HAP, terbukti bahawa sumber di kawasan kajian adalah sumber bercampur yang didominasi oleh sumber pirogenik oleh pembakaran bahan bakar fosil, pembakaran enjin kenderaan, pembakaran kayu terbuka dan pembakaran arang adalah penyebab yang menyumbang ke arah kepelbagaian sumber di sedimen di sepanjang kawasan sekitaran dan sungai muara Kuala Kedah.

Kata kunci: HAP, sedimen permukaan, indeks molekular, pirogenik, pirolitik

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