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Johor Strait as a Hotspot for Trace Elements Contamination in Peninsular Malaysia

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Abstract

Present study was conducted to evaluate current status of trace elements contamination in the surface sediments of the Johor Strait. Iron (2.54 ± 1.24%) was found as the highest occurring element, followed by those of zinc (210.45 ± 115.4 μg/g), copper (57.84 ± 45.54 μg/g), chromium (55.50 ± 31.24 μg/g), lead (52.52 ± 28.41 μg/g), vanadium (47.76 ± 25.76 μg/g), arsenic (27.30 ± 17.11 μg/g), nickel (18.31 ± 11.77 μg/g), cobalt (5.13 ± 3.12 μg/g), uranium (4.72 ± 2.52 μg/g), and cadmium (0.30 ± 0.30 μg/g), respectively. Bioavailability of cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic and cadmium were higher than 50% of total concentration. Vanadium, copper, zinc, arsenic and cadmium were found significantly different between the eastern and western part of the strait (p < 0.05). Combining with other factors, Johor Strait is suitable as a hotspot for trace elements contamination related studies.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant-in-aid from Scientific Program (No. 19380224), the Multilateral Core University Program “Coastal Marine Science” from the Japan Society for Promotion of Science, and the eScienceFund (Project No. 06-01-04-SF0715) from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Syaizwan Zahmir Zulkifli & Ahmad Ismail

  2. Center for International Cooperation, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 1-15-1 Minamidai, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, 164-8639, Japan

    Syaizwan Zahmir Zulkifli & Nobuyuki Miyazaki

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Ferdaus Mohamat-Yusuff

  4. International Coastal Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 2-106-1, Akahama, Otsuchi, Kamiheigun, Iwate, 028-1102, Japan

    Ferdaus Mohamat-Yusuff & Takaomi Arai

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  1. Syaizwan Zahmir Zulkifli
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  2. Ahmad Ismail
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  3. Ferdaus Mohamat-Yusuff
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  4. Takaomi Arai
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  5. Nobuyuki Miyazaki
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Correspondence to Syaizwan Zahmir Zulkifli or Ahmad Ismail.

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Zulkifli, S.Z., Ismail, A., Mohamat-Yusuff, F. et al. Johor Strait as a Hotspot for Trace Elements Contamination in Peninsular Malaysia. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 84, 568–573 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-010-9998-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-010-9998-8

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