Physical and chemical characteristics of bottom sediments from the Kelantan river, Tumpat, Kelantan

Abstract

This research is focusing on the physical and chemical characteristics of the sediments from Kelantan River, Tumpat, Kelantan. Ten (10) bottom sediment samples have been collected from different seafloor spots along the bottom parts of the Kelantan River. Laboratories analysis have been carried out to determine their physical parameters e.g. grain size, and petrographic properties in order to analyse the sediments sorting and grain-size distribution that reflecting surface processes which related to hydrodynamic conditions of transportation and depositional process of the sediments. Most of the samples are classified as coarse-grained, moderately well-sorted, poor to moderately rounded, moderately angular, with the mean grain size for the sediment in the range of 0.40 to 0.80, standard deviation from -0.30 to -0.1, positively skewed, and platykurtic to leptokurtic (1.11 to 7.65). Basic chemical properties for the sediments are also determined, where the results show that their pH value ranges 5.91 to 6.80, moisture content ranges 11.97-82.73%, and specific gravity ranges 2.65 to 2.85. Heavy metal elements (e.g. copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)) in the sediments have been detected using ICP-OES. The concentration of Fe, Mg, Mn and Pb are relatively high i.e. in the range of 1080.80-2478.58 ppm, 56.50-148.24 ppm, 14.59-56.63 ppm, and 36.39-77.97 ppm respectively. However, the concentration of Cu and Zn are considered very low (0.42-0.91 ppm and 1.99-4.31 ppm respectively). Based on the heavy metal geo-accumulation index (Igeo), the Kelantan river is range in unpolluted with Cu, Fe, Mg, Zn and Mn. However, four out of the ten locations are range unpolluted to moderately polluted with Pb.