Assessment of the River Water Pollution Levels in Kuantan, Malaysia, Using Ion-Exclusion Chromatographic Data, Water Quality Indices, and Land Usage Patterns

• Main Authors: Daisuke Kozaki, Mohd Hasbi bin Ab. Rahim, Wan Mohd Faizal bin Wan Ishak, Mashitah M. Yusoff, Masanobu Mori, Nobutake Nakatani, Kazuhiko Tanaka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2016-01-01
• Series: Air, Soil and Water Research
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.4137/ASWR.S33017

Water qualities of three suburban rivers, namely, Kuantan, Belat, and Galing rivers, in Kuantan, Malaysia, were examined effectively by using ion-exclusion/cation-exchange chromatography with water quality indices and land usage data. Specifically, we have focused on evaluating and grasping the effect of sewage/household wastewater discharged from housing areas in the Kuantan district on the river water quality. Based on this study, the following beneficial information were obtained effectively: (1) the pollution levels in the three rivers (Kuantan River: Classes I–III, Belat River: Classes I–III, and Galing River: Classes I–V) are linked with the urbanization level of the river basin area; (2) differences in the biological reactions in the different pollution level rivers are understood; (3) Galing River is among the most polluted rivers not only in Kuantan but also in the Peninsular Malaysia, owing to poor water treatment of the sewage/household wastewater discharged from the river basin area.