Determination of heavy metals in the soils at the Bau mineralization area

• Main Author: Buana, Bin Ahmad.
• Format: Final Year Project Report
• Language: English
• Published: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) 2006
• Subjects: Q Science (General); QH Natural history
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/23827/1/Determination%20of%20heavy...ft.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/23827/

Heavy metal concentrations were determined in soils of the Bau area. Four sampling sites were selected for this study namely Pejiru, Bidi, Taiton and Batu Bekajang Lake. Analyses of Cd, Cu, Co, Mn, Pb and Zn were carried out by using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (F AAS). The concentration of Mn was higher in the soils with a range 6.33-96.17 mglkg while the Zn was found to have the lowest concentration at all the sites except the Batu Bekajang Lake. The Bidi site showed the highest concentration of Cd, Cu, Co and Pb values. Mean concentrations of heavy metals in the soil were found in the decreasing order as follows: Mn>Pb>Cu>Co>Cd>Zn. There were significant difference for heavy metals contamination in between sampling sites and there were no significant difference for heavy metals contamination in different depths. The main reason for heavy metals in the soil was because the Bau area was an area of mineralization.