Determination of Total Organic Carbon Concentration in Surficial Sediments of Sungai Juru and Sungai Tengah, Penang, Malaysia

Abstract

According to Malaysia Environment Report 2013, Sungai Juru was categorized as a polluted river based on water quality analysis. Urban surficial sediments of Sungai Juru and Sungai Tengah in Penang were collected for determination of the concentration of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and type of sediment. From the finding of sediment texture (%), most of sampling stations in both rivers were categorized as silt. On one hand, the correlation relationship of TOC and mean size sediment of Sungai Juru and Sungai Tengah was accounted forr=0.28 and r=0.61 respectively. This was probably showing that both rivers have different controlling factors that affect the TOC content in surficial sediment. The highest of TOC concentration in Sungai Juru was 4.64% at station J1 which located at upper catchment of rivers. The concentration was then level off at river mouth (1.34%-1.83%). Anthropogenic waste might play the dominant role in TOC enrichment at Sungai Juru. Compare with Sungai Tengah, strong positive correlation between TOC and mean size sedimentwas demonstrated, it indicates that mean grain size was possibly the important controlling factor had influences the TOC level in surficial sediment.