The impact of palm oil processing activities (mill) on the accumulation of heavy metal in soil of surrounding area (Bukit Mendi) / Nur Najiha Abdul Hadi

The study of the impact of palm oil mill processing activities towards the surrounding area of Bukit Mendi Palm Oil Mill was conducted by determining the distribution of five heavy metals concentration including Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn. Soil samples from eight sampling sub-station have been collected to assess the heavy metal concentration. The total heavy metals content were analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). Three types of pollution index have been measured which are Enrichment Factor (EF), Potential Ecological Risk Index (PERI) and Contamination Factor (CF) of the heavy metal contents. The indexes have been used to evaluate the level of pollution in the selected study area. The average total heavy metal concentration observed in this studied were increasing in the order of Mn > Zn > Cd > Pb and Cu. Mn recorded the highest metal contents followed by Zn metal with 154.00 mg/kg and 125.50 mg/kg respectively. The EF values showed the heavy metal contents at each sampling stations were unevenly distributed with the heavy metal contents fall within minimal to extremely high enrichment. Based on the Potential Toxicity Response Indices for heavy metals (RI), all the sampling stations were found to have a potential ecological risk level where the RI values were measured in between low to severe level. This study has provided some information related to the accumulation of heavy metals in soil of surrounding area and used to identify the possible sources that contribute to these heavy metals.