Sains Malaysiana 52(5)(2023): 1453-1468

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5205-10

Analysis of Methylphenol Concentration in Selangor Rivers, Malaysia using Solid Phase Extraction Technique Coupled with UV-Vis Spectroscopy

(Analisis Kepekatan Metilfenol di Sungai-Sungai Selangor, Malaysia menggunakan Teknik Pengekstrakan Fasa Pepejal Digandingkan dengan Spektroskopi UV-Vis)

Nur ‘Izzah binti Ahmad Juanda¹, Noorashikin Md Saleh^1,*, Nor Yuliana Yuhana¹, Saliza Asman² & Farhanini Yusoff³

¹Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Department of Physics and Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, UTHM Pagoh Campus, Pagoh Higher Education Hub, KM 1, Jalan Panchor, 84600 Muar, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia

³Faculty of Science and Marine Environment, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia

Received: 12 January 2023/Accepted: 10 April 2023

Abstract

Methylphenol is extensively produced from pharmaceuticals, agriculture, textiles, cosmetics, and petrochemicals industries. It is a pollutant that can adversely affect public health and the ecosystem. Following the issues raised, methylphenol extraction from Selangor rivers need to be done to avoid adverse consequences. In this study, solid phase extraction (SPE) combined with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) detection at 271 nm was utilized to extract methylphenol from Selangor rivers. The challenges reported by applying the SPE technique was to identify the optimum conditions for extraction to guarantee effective recovery of the extracted methylphenol. Therefore, this research aimed to develop an extraction technique to extract methylphenol from Selangor rivers. In this study, 3 mL Supel Swift-HLB cartridges with bed weight of 60 mg were used as SPE cartridges. The optimum conditions for methylphenol SPE were 3 mL methanol as a conditioning solvent, 6 mL of pH 5 water sample with a contact time of 4 min with adsorbent bed was practiced during sample loading, 3 mL of acetonitrile as washing solvent, and 12 mL of acetone as the elution solvent. The concentrations of methylphenol detected at five different locations collected from Sungai Klang, Sungai Selangor, and Sungai Langat ranged from 5 to 6 mg L^-1. SPE coupled with UV-Vis is an appropriate method for methylphenol extraction as it simplifies sample preparation, is time saving, and can achieve a high percentage recovery of methylphenol.

Keywords: Methylphenol; pollutant extraction; Selangor river water; solid phase extraction; UV-Vis analysis

Abstrak

Kepadatan penduduk yang semakin meningkat di Selangor telah menyebabkan pembangunan pesat dalam aktiviti perindustrian dan domestik. Perkembangan ini telah menyebabkan kesan negatif terhadap alam sekitar terutamanya di sungai-sungai Selangor. Metilfenol yang dihasilkan secara meluas daripada industri farmaseutikal, pertanian, tekstil, kosmetik dan petrokimia merupakan bahan pencemar yang boleh menjejaskan kesihatan awam dan ekosistem. Berikutan isu yang dibangkitkan, pengekstrakan metil fenol di sungai Selangor perlu dilakukan bagi mengelakkan kesan buruk. Dalam kajian ini, gabungan pengekstrakan fasa pepejal (SPE) dengan pengesanan spektrofotometri ultralembayung nampak (UV-Vis) pada 271 nm digunakan untuk mengekstrak metil fenol dalam sampel air sungai Selangor. Cabaran yang dilaporkan dalam menggunakan teknik SPE termasuk mengenal pasti keadaan terbaik untuk digunakan semasa pengekstrakan bagi menjamin pemulihan berkesan metil fenol yang diekstrak. Justeru, kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan gabungan parameter optimum bagi SPE metil fenol dan untuk menentukan kepekatan metil fenol dalam sampel air sungai di Selangor. Kartrij SPE yang digunakan dalam kajian ini ialah kartrij Supel^TM Swift-HLB 3 mL dengan berat lapisan penjerap 60 mg. Keadaan optimum yang ditentukan bagi SPE metil fenol ialah 3 mL metanol sebagai pelarut keadaan, 6 mL sampel air pada pH 5 serta masa sentuhan 4 minit dengan lapisan penjerap digunakan semasa langkah pemuatan sampel, 3 mL aseton sebagai pelarut pencuci dan isi padu 12 mL aseton digunakan sebagai pelarut elusi. Kepekatan metil fenol yang dikesan di Sungai Klang, Sungai Selangor serta Sungai Langat adalah dalam lingkungan 5 hingga 6 mg L^-1. SPE-UV-Vis ialah kaedah yang sesuai untuk pengekstrakan metil fenol kerana ia memudahkan penyediaan sampel, menjimatkan masa serta membolehkan peratusan pemulihan metil fenol yang tinggi dicapai.

Kata kunci: Air Sungai di Selangor; analisis UV-Vis; metilfenol; pencemar; pengekstrakan fasa pepejal

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^*Corresponding author; email: noorashikin@ukm.edu.my