Assessment of heavy metals in Sungai Jempul / Che Mohamad Fakhrul Hafiz Che Mohd Shamshudin

This study was conducted to assess the concentration of heavy metals such as Pb, Mn and Fe in Sungai Jempul, Jengka, Pahang. The heavy metals were analyzed by using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Fe showed the highest concentration while Pb presented the lowest concentration in this river. The concentration of studied metals were in the increasing order Pb< Mn< Fe. The health risk associated with Pb, Mn and Fe were assessed based on the parameters used for dermal contact and ingestion exposure. The results indicated that the parameters for targeted heavy metals were below the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic limits as suggested by United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). The results indicated that Sungai Jempul were safe to be used for drinking water and recreational activities by nearby inhabitants