Sains Malaysiana 46(3)(2017): 401–411

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2017-4603-07

Assessment of Water Quality of Batang Rajang at Pelagus Area, Sarawak, Malaysia

(Penilaian Kualiti Air Batang Rajang di Kawasan Pelagus, Sarawak, Malaysia)

TECK-YEE LING^1*, CHEN-LIN SOO¹, TZE-PEI PHAN¹, LEE NYANTI², SIONG-FONG SIM¹

& JONGKAR GRINANG³

¹Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak Bumi Kenyalang, Malaysia

²Department of Aquatic Science, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak Bumi Kenyalang, Malaysia

³Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak Bumi Kenyalang, Malaysia

Received: 15 April 2016/Accepted: 28 June 2016

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the water quality of Batang Rajang at Pelagus area, Sarawak, Malaysia. Water quality was determined at 12 stations along Batang Rajang and its tributaries in terms of in-situ and ex-situ water quality parameters. The results showed that most stations at main river were categorized as slightly polluted while most tributaries were clean according to the Water Quality Index. The river is suffering from organic pollution where almost all stations along the river contained high chemical oxygen demand (≈ 43.1 mg/L) and total ammonia nitrogen (≈ 0.520 mg/L) and were classified as Class III and IV at most of the stations. High suspended solids (218.3 mg/L) and low dissolved oxygen (4.6 mg/L) were observed at the main river. The low dissolved oxygen content from the Bakun dam upstream of the study area has an impact on the river particularly during dry season where DO dropped below the minimum required for sensitive aquatic organisms. As seven tributaries are within Class II indicating healthy freshwater ecosystems, they should be conserved as habitats for sensitive aquatic organisms. Conversely, proper management need to be initiated in particular, Sungai Merit tributary and the main river where DO were below the minimum required for sensitive aquatic organisms.

Keywords: Hydroelectric dam; longhouses; Pelagus rapids; regulated river; water quality index

ABSTRAK

Penyelidikan ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji kualiti air Batang Rajang di kawasan Pelagus, Sarawak, Malaysia. Kualiti air telah ditentukan di 12 stesen sepanjang Batang Rajang dan anak sungainya daripada segi parameter kualiti air secara in-situ dan ex-situ. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa kebanyakan stesen di sungai utama dikategorikan sebagai sedikit tercemar manakala kebanyakan anak sungai adalah bersih mengikut Indeks Kualiti Air. Batang Rajang mengalami pencemaran organik dengan hampir semua stesen di sepanjang sungai mengandungi permintaan oksigen kimia (≈ 43.1 mg/L) dan jumlah nitrogen ammonia (≈ 0.520 mg/L) yang tinggi dan diklasifikasikan sebagai Kelas III dan IV di kebanyakan stesen. Pepejal terampai yang tinggi (218.3 mg/L) dan oksigen terlarut (DO) yang rendah (4.6 mg/L) diperhatikan di sungai utama. Kandungan oksigen terlarut yang rendah dari empangan Bakun di hulu kawasan kajian mempunyai kesan ke atas sungai terutamanya semasa musim kering dengan DO jatuh di bawah tahap minimum yang diperlukan untuk organisma akuatik sensitif. Memandangkan tujuh anak sungai berada dalam Kelas II yang merupakan ekosistem air tawar yang sihat, mereka harus dipelihara sebagai habitat untuk organisma akuatik yang sensitif. Sebaliknya, pengurusan yang betul perlu dimulakan terutamanya di anak sungai Merit dan sungai utama dengan DO adalah di bawah tahap minimum yang diperlukan untuk organisma akuatik sensitif.

Kata kunci: Empangan hidroelektrik; indeks kualiti air; jeram Pelagus; rumah panjang; sungai terkawal

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*Corresponding author; email: tyling@frst.unimas.my