Heavy metal concentrations in tin mine effluents in Kepayang River, Perak, Malaysia

Abstract

A preliminary study on physico-chemical properties and heavy metal concentrations, i.e., aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn), was conducted at the nearest point of tin mine effluents in Kepayang River, Perak, Malaysia. Composite samples of surface water and sediments were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and data were compared with the Malaysia's Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) guidelines. The concentrations of As and Fe in both water and sediment were found to have exceeded the MOH and CCME guidelines. The output from this study can present as a background report on metal concentrations of tin mine effluents, which will be useful for future monitoring works.