International Journal of Engineering Advanced Research (IJEAR) eISSN: 2710-7167 [Vol. 1 No. 4 December 2020]
Journal website: http://myjms.mohe.gov.my/index.php/ijear
WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS OF SUNGAI MAONG PAROH
Sezee Gorotop1*, Alistair Eric Samuel2, Shawn Steven3 and Rodnnie Allein Anak Richard4
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, Kuching, MALAYSIA
2 3 4 Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, Kuching, MALAYSIA
*Corresponding author: [email protected] Article Information:
Article history:
Received date : 12 December 2020 Revised date : 26 December 2020 Accepted date : 27 December 2020 Published date : 29 December 2020 To cite this document:
Gorotop, S., Samuel, A., Steven, S., &
Richard, R. (2020). WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS OF SUNGAI MAONG PAROH. International Journal Of Engineering Advanced Research, 1(4), 49-61.
Abstract: Most development have an impact on the environment especially water resources such as rivers which most of the time are polluted due to human activities around them. Sungai Maong Paroh is one of the tributaries to Sungai Sarawak which physically observed as polluted river. Several tests were conducted to confirm the physical observation and hypothesis. The six (6) parameters that were analysed for the assessment of Maong Paroh River water quality which are Ammoniacal nitrogen, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total suspended Solid, pH value and Dissolve Oxygen (DO). Water sample was taken and sent to the Kuching Water Board laboratory for analysis. From the result obtained, BOD, COD and TSS parameter was significantly high, which clearly clarify that water from this river is not suitable for consumption. The pH value is in neutral condition where neither it is acidic nor alkaline.
The overall contamination of the Sungai Maong Paroh occurred due to discharged and solid waste from construction, residential and industrial area. Tightening solid waste disposal and proper treatment of discharge before reach the river could reduce this pollution trend.
Keywords: water pollution, water quality analysis, sungai maong paroh.
1. Introduction
Sungai Maong Paroh is one of the tributaries to main river in Kuching City which known as Sungai Sarawak. This short river is form by a body of running water moving from undeveloped area or jungle and residential area to a lower level in a channel and flowing directly to the Sungai Sarawak.
There is not much information about Sungai Maong Paroh available on the net and so far there is no research reported conducted regarding water quality of this river. This 6 kilometer length of river not play as an important mean of transportation or fishing, or even agricultural, but this river will significantly will affect the water quality of Sungai Sarawak in general. This hypothesis is due to physical observation of the river water condition and riverscape along Sungai Maong Paroh that consists of residential building and industries. It was observed that the discharge from these buildings will go straight into the river.
Water quality monitoring need to be done as the area along Sungai Maong Paroh experiencing rapid development and increasing in population. From the observation, the physical appearance of river water are black in color and has an unpleasant odor. Other than that, the river water also sometimes appear to be filled with foam on the surface and there are many rubbish floating along the current. If water quality is not monitored and the river remain polluted, problems may occur in the future such as increasing in water treatment cost which finally may affect the price of municipal water. Besides, long term pollution will also disrupt the aquatic life. Therefore, the general objective of this study is to analyze water quality of Sungai Maong Paroh base on six (6) standard parameters which are Ammoniacal Nitrogen, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Dissolved Oxygen, pH and Total Suspended Solid (TSS).
2. Literature Review 2.1 Water Pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (like oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, aquifers and groundwater) usually caused due to human activities (Water and Water Pollution, 2020). Water pollution is any change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of water that will have a detrimental consequence on any living organism (Guo, 2018). Usually, water pollution is caused by several source of pollution such as:
i. Domestic waste:
Domestic waste is any nonprescription waste, consisting of combustible materials, such as paper, cardboard, yard clippings, wood, or similar materials, generated in a dwelling, including the real property upon which it is situated, containing four living units or less (Bourguignon, 2015).
ii. Industrial effluence :
Industrial waste is the waste produced by industrial activity which includes any material that is rendered useless during a manufacturing process such as that of factories, industries, mills, and mining operations (Tapas, 2020). It has existed since the start of the Industrial Revolution. Some examples of industrial wastes are chemical solvents, pigments, sludge, metals, ash, paints, sandpaper, paper products, industrial by-products, and radioactive wastes.
iii. Commercial waste :
Commercial waste is any waste generated as a result of carrying out a business, including associated lawn and garden clippings from normal maintenance of the business premises.
Commercial waste also includes rubbish produced by your customers such as food wrappers and container (Environment, water & waste, 2020).
iv. Agricultural waste :
Agricultural waste is waste produced as a result of various agricultural operations. It includes manure and other wastes from farms, poultry houses and slaughterhouses, harvest waste, fertilizer run- off from fields, pesticides that enter into water, air or soils, and salt and silt drained from fields (Pandey & Bauddh, 2018).
2.2 Water Quality Parameters 2.2.1 Total Suspended Solid
Total Suspended Solid (TSS) is the dry-weight of suspended particles that are not dissolved in a sample of water and can be trapped by a filter during filtration process (Ismail, Khulbe, &
Matsuura, 2019). It is a water quality parameter used to assess the quality of a specimen of any type of water or wastewater. TSS of a water or wastewater refer to the gain in weight as a dry weight measure of the particulates present in the water sample which is expressed in units derived or calculated from the volume.
2.2.2 Chemical Oxygen Demand
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a measure of the capacity of water to consume oxygen during the decomposition of organic matter and the oxidation of inorganic chemical such as ammonia and nitrate (Luiz, 2016). COD measurements are commonly made on samples of waste water of natural waters contaminated by domestic or industrial wastes. Chemical oxygen demand is measured as a standardized laboratory assay in which a closed water sample is incubated with a strong chemical oxidant under specific conditions of temperature and for a particular period of time (Alam, 2015).
A commonly used oxidant in COD assays is potassium dichromate.
2.2.3 Biochemical Oxygen Demand
Biochemical oxygen demand or BOD is a chemical procedure for determining the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period (Li &
Liu, 2019). The BOD test measures the strength of the waste water by measuring the amount of oxygen used by the bacteria as they stabilize the organic matter under controlled condition of time and temperature (Kiepper, 2016). The BOD test is used to measure waste loads to water treatment plants and also used to determine the effect of discharges on receiving waters. A major disadvantage of the BOD test is the amount of time (5 days) required to obtain the results (Kiepper, 2016).
2.2.4 Dissolved Oxygen
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) concentrations are influenced by many factors including water temperature, the rate of photosynthesis, the degree of light penetration (turbidity and water depth), the degree of water turbulence or wave action, and the amount of oxygen used by respiration and decay of organic matter (Volunteer Monitoring Factsheet Series, 2018). Dissolved oxygen comes from the atmosphere and from photosynthesis by aquatic plants, and is depleted through chemical oxidation and respiration by aquatic animals and microorganisms, especially during the decomposition of plant biomass and other organic material (Water Quality Indicators, 2020).
Surface water, near the water-atmosphere interface and with sufficient light for photosynthesis, is generally saturated or even supersaturated with oxygen. Deeper water receives oxygen through mixing by wind, currents, and inflows. Dissolved oxygen is essential for a healthy aquatic ecosystem. Fish and aquatic animals need the oxygen dissolved in the water to survive. The need for oxygen depends on the species and life stage; some organisms are adapted to lower oxygen conditions, while others require higher concentrations (Peacock, 2017).
2.2.5 pH Value
pH is a measure of how acidic/basic water is. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral.
pHs of less than 7 indicate acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base (Islam, et al., 2017). Since pH can be affected by chemicals in the water, pH is an important indicator of water that is changing chemically. The pH of a body of water is affected by several factors. One of the most important factors is the bedrock and soil composition through which the water moves, both in its bed and as groundwater (Oram, 2020). Some rock types such as limestone can, to an extent, neutralize the acid while others, such as granite, have virtually no effect on pH. Another factor which affects the pH is the amount of plant growth and organic material within a body of water (Banrie, 2013). Raw wastewater generally has a pH near neutral (7.0), although it may vary between 6 and 8. If significant hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is present in the collection system and the wastewater is odorous, then the pH may be lower than 6 because the amount of hydrogen dissolved in the water (as H2S) has increased, causing a shift in the balance of hydronium and hydroxyl ions (Trygar, 2013).
2.2.6 Ammoniacal Nitrogen
Ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N), is a measure for the amount of ammonia, a toxic pollutant often found in landfill leachate and in waste products, such as sewage, liquid manure and other liquid organic waste products (Manios, Stentiford, & Millner, 2002). It can also be used as a measure of the health of water in natural bodies such as rivers or lakes, or in man made water reservoirs. The term is used widely in waste treatment and water purification systems. Ammonia can directly poison humans and upset the equilibrium of water systems (Aziz, Adlan, & Zahari, 2004).The values of ammoniacal nitrogen in water or waste liquids are measured in milligram per liter and are used for specifying water treatment systems and facilities (Bock, 2016).
2.3 Problem Statement
Water pollution refer to the contamination of water bodies when pollutant are discharge into it without proper treatment (Muralikrishna & Manickam, 2017). This contamination will affect the ecosystem and human life and might become an issue now or later. Sungai Maong Paroh is one of the tributaries to Sungai Sarawak which affected by industrial and residential discharged along the river. Until November 2020, the water quality of this river has not been classified yet by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, so the water quality status of this river is still unknown.
From observation, it is recommended for water quality analysis to be conducted since Sungai Sarawak (where the discharge from sungai maong paroh flow into) play as an important aspect in development of agriculture, transportation, and even for tourism in Kuching area.
3. Methodology 3.1 Study Area
This study is about water quality analysis of Sungai Maong Paroh catchment in Matang District.
Site visits were conducted to see the real physical condition and shapes of the river and also the pollution condition along the river. One station have been selected from the entire study area along the Sungai Maong Paroh. The location for the sampling station was determined by a site inspection.
Sungai Maong Paroh location and flow pattern are shown in Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.2. Samples were collected and analyzed to achieve the study purpose.
Figure 3.1: Sungai Maong Paroh (Source: Google Map)
Figure 3.2: Areal view of Sungai Maong Paroh (Source: Google Map)
3.2 Sampling and Laboratories Analysis
Sampling process was conducted by using clean water bottle. Sample was taken at the location shown in Figure 3.3 which will be investigated later for six parameters of water quality.
Figure 3.3 Sampling Location
Figure 3.4: Condition of Sungai Maong Paroh
This sampling station (as shown in Figure 3.3 and Figure 3.4) was selected as this area is safest and accessable among other location. The water flow at this station also more stable and strategic as there are a lot of buildings nearby that contribute to wastewater into this river. Sampling was done in three (3) days to get the average value.
3.2.1 Laboratories Procedures
After the samples were collected, it was sent to the laboratory at Kuching Water Board for analysis.
The water quality parameters that have been analyse are ammonical nitrogen, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), dissolved oxygen, pH and Total Suspended Solid (TSS). These parameters were selected based on the requirement standard for water quality index suggested by Department of Environmental Malaysia.
Table 3.1: National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia
Parameter Unit CLASS
I IIA IIIB III IV V
Ammoniacal Nitrogen
mg/l 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.9 2.7 > 2.7
BOD mg/l 1 3 3 6 12 > 12
COD mg/l 10 25 25 50 100 > 100
DO mg/l 7 5 - 7 5 - 7 3 - 5 < 3 < 1
pH - 6.5 – 8.5 6 - 9 6 - 9 5 - 9 5 - 9 -
TSS mg/l 25 50 50 150 300 300
The water quality assessment was conducted by following the National Water Quality Standard (NWQS) for Malaysia, as the guide to select the limits and classes for each parameter.
4. Results and Discussion
The result obtained for six parameters were presented in Table 4.1. Determination of pH value of the aquatic systems is important as an indicator of the water quality and the extent pollution in the watershed areas.
Table 4.1: Physical-Chemical Parameters of water sample at Sungai Maong Paroh
Parameters Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
pH 6.6 6.4 6.1
(NH3-N) mg/L 6.16 4 Not Available
DO mg/L 3.42 4.58 Not Available
*BOD mg/L 4.79 6.4 Not Available
COD mg/L 27.3 24 Not Available
TSS mg/L 114 110 Not Available
Data on the third day for Ammoniacal Nitrogen, DO, BOD, COD and TSS were not available due to construction at the area and entrance restriction.
Based on the data obtained, the pH value range from 6.1 to 6.6 which is still acceptable for animals, aquatic plants and even human to use in order to thrive. The pH value do shows some slight changes in value for the three (3) days of sample collecting, but the average pH value is 6.4. The pH value can be classified into a neutral range pH value for streams and river water.
Excessive ammoniacal nitrogen in waterways can cause taste and odor problems, apart from introducing a psychological problem to consumers, who will be under the impression that the water source is contaminated with sewage, even though this is not the case. For this case at Sungai Maong Paroh, the Ammonical Nitrogen is at a dangerous level where the value range from 4 to 6.16 mg/L.
It can be classified as dead river and there is no activities should be done at the river. The high content of Ammoniacal Nitrogen in the river could be the factor of the water smells pungent. Other than that, this also might be the causes of the excessive growth of algae in the river and the riverbank as it is the main component for algae to thrive.
The mean DO values ranged from 3.42 to 4.58 mg/l. The average value obtained was 4 mg/L which indicates that the study area is highly deoxygenated. The low DO concentration could be sign of too many bacteria and an excess amount of biological oxygen demand (BOD) such as untreated sewage, partially treated sewage, organic discharges and anoxic discharges which use up DO (Oram, 2020).
BOD5 of the water samples varied from 4.79 to 6.4 mg/L. The results were taken after 5 days BOD samples was testing. These concentrations must be influenced by the increase development activities at Matang area, where the river is flowing through. BOD is a measure of the quantity of oxygen consumed by microorganisms during the decomposition of organic matter. This organic compounds is among one of the indicators of organic pollution. Usually, un-polluted natural water has a BOD value of less than 5 mg/L (Mustapha, Aris, Juahir, Ramli, & Kura, 2013).
The concentration of chemical oxygen demand ranged from 24 to 27.3 mg/L. COD concentrations show that the value is not within the acceptable limit. The presence of organic compound in water supports the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms, which may enhance the concentration of BOD5 and very low DO value in water (Yisa & Jimoh, 2010).
Total suspended solids (TSS) are defined as solids in water that can be trapped by a filter (Ismail, Khulbe, & Matsuura, 2019). To measure TSS, the water sample is filtered through a pre-weighed filter. The residue retained on the filter is dried in an oven at 103–105°C until the weight of the filter no longer changes. The increase in weight of the filter represents the TSS. The value obtained for TSS at Sungai Maong Paroh is ranged from 110 to 114 mg/L which is higher than the minimum recommended TSS limit set by NWQS, 25 mg/L (DOE, 2019). This showed that TSS contents in the river is relatively high.
4.1 Classification of parameters based on NWQS
Referring to the National Water Quality Standards For Malaysia (NWQS), data obtained was compared and analysed. From the table of classification, Table 4.2, pH value is in class I where it is practically no treatment necessary. While ammoniacal nitrogen is fall into class 5 where it can classified as dead river because the river were critically polluted. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) parameter is in class 3 which indicate that this river will require extensive treatment.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is in class 3. In this category, the water condition is still acceptable for livestock drinking to the communities and for economic activities. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) classified into class 2 where conventional treatment required and lastly Total Suspended Solid (TSS) are significantly in class 2 which indicate that the water condition is very sensitive to other aquatic life that live in the river.
Table 4.2: Classification by parameters of Sungai Maong Paroh
Parameter Unit CLASS
I IIA IIIB III IV V
Ammoniacal Nitrogen
mg/l 5.08
BOD mg/l 4.79
COD mg/l 25.65 25.65
DO mg/l 4.58
pH - 6.3
TSS mg/l 112 112
4.2 Significant Contamination 4.2.1 Urban Development
The urban development around Sungai Maong Paroh is obviously increased and this affect the river water quality significantly. Construction activities around the river which is also known to be one of the factor that causes pollution at Sungai Maong Paroh.
Figure 4.1: Construction activities near the river bank
4.2.2 Wastewater discharge from commercial and housing area
The existence of housing and commercial area around the Sungai Maong Paroh also contribute to the contamination by the dumping of domestic waste and commercial into the river through drainage system. This resulted the Sungai Maong Paroh to become polluted and disrupt the aspect of a clean river water.
5. Conclusion
The purpose of this study is to analyse water quality of Sungai Maong Paroh. Early observation shows that this area was polluted by waste disposal from residential area and manufacturing activities at the nearby area. The result obtained support the hypothesis where the river condition is not suitable for aquatic or even for human activities. The contamination does not only disrupt the ecosystem that ultimately affects aquatic life, it can even affect the quality of human life through the spread of disease, Therefore, more effective control should be taken to increase awareness among the residential. One of the prevention that can be taken to tackle this pollution is by provide a proper treatment for any discharge from the residential and commercial area before it reach the river. However, this decision needs further studies and cooperation between related authorities in the area. It is recommended that further study should be conducted to investigate and provide more information about Sungai Maong Paroh. This information is relatively important since this area is rapidly developing. Future development might need the water quality information of this river as it will affect the environmental assessment of this area.
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