TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of Heavy Metal Concentrations in Penang, Malaysia’s Wastewater Treatment Plants
T2 - A Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Approach
AU - Ruzi, Iqbal Iman
AU - Ishak, Ahmad Razali
AU - Abdullah, Muhamad Azwat
AU - Zain, Nur Nadhirah Mohamad
AU - Tualeka, Abdul Rohim
AU - Aziz, Mohd Yusmaidie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, Walailak University. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023/4/1
Y1 - 2023/4/1
N2 - Heavy metals and trace metals are among the most prevalent contaminants in sewage. Depending on the concentration and frequency of exposure, certain heavy metals are toxic, carcinogenic, and hazardous to humans. In this study, copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and cadmium (Cd) levels were measured in the collected wastewater samples from 10 selected domestic sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Penang, Malaysia in December 2021. All metals in the wastewater were determined using the atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) method followed by the wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) analysis. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in the wastewater samples were found to be in the following order (unit of mg/L): Fe > Ni > Zn > Cu > Cd (influent), and Fe > Ni > Zn > Cd > Cu (effluent). Among the metals, Fe concentrations were found to be the highest in effluent, with average values at 5.93 ± 5.319 mg/L, slightly over than a maximum permissible Fe concentration. Cadmium level in all STPs was significantly higher when compared to the maximum permissible Cd concentration (0.02 mg/L) allowed by Malaysia’s regulation, with an average of 0.13 ± 0.011 mg/L. Other metals concentration such as Cu, Ni and Zn in wastewater at the studied STPs showed low level and were considered safe. Using the WBE approach, the collected data were then calculated to estimate the population’s exposure consumption to heavy metals. Mass loading demonstrated high Fe exposure in all STPs but low Cd exposure, with the mean exposure of 1,924.86 ± 2451.772 and 46.91 ± 20.936 mg/1000p/d, respectively. Given the World Health Organization’s recommendation for tolerable weekly cadmium intake, the estimated human exposure to Cd in this study was particularly concerning, in addition to the lack of efficiency of Cd removal in the studied STPs.
AB - Heavy metals and trace metals are among the most prevalent contaminants in sewage. Depending on the concentration and frequency of exposure, certain heavy metals are toxic, carcinogenic, and hazardous to humans. In this study, copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and cadmium (Cd) levels were measured in the collected wastewater samples from 10 selected domestic sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Penang, Malaysia in December 2021. All metals in the wastewater were determined using the atomic absorption spectrometric (AAS) method followed by the wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) analysis. The mean concentrations of heavy metals in the wastewater samples were found to be in the following order (unit of mg/L): Fe > Ni > Zn > Cu > Cd (influent), and Fe > Ni > Zn > Cd > Cu (effluent). Among the metals, Fe concentrations were found to be the highest in effluent, with average values at 5.93 ± 5.319 mg/L, slightly over than a maximum permissible Fe concentration. Cadmium level in all STPs was significantly higher when compared to the maximum permissible Cd concentration (0.02 mg/L) allowed by Malaysia’s regulation, with an average of 0.13 ± 0.011 mg/L. Other metals concentration such as Cu, Ni and Zn in wastewater at the studied STPs showed low level and were considered safe. Using the WBE approach, the collected data were then calculated to estimate the population’s exposure consumption to heavy metals. Mass loading demonstrated high Fe exposure in all STPs but low Cd exposure, with the mean exposure of 1,924.86 ± 2451.772 and 46.91 ± 20.936 mg/1000p/d, respectively. Given the World Health Organization’s recommendation for tolerable weekly cadmium intake, the estimated human exposure to Cd in this study was particularly concerning, in addition to the lack of efficiency of Cd removal in the studied STPs.
KW - Heavy metals
KW - Toxicology
KW - Wastewater
KW - Wastewater based epidemiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150495306&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.48048/tis.2023.6523
DO - 10.48048/tis.2023.6523
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85150495306
SN - 2774-0226
VL - 20
JO - Trends in Sciences
JF - Trends in Sciences
IS - 5
M1 - 6523
ER -