The Geochemisry of Ba, U, Cd, Mn in the Surface Sediments of Matang Mangrove Forest, Malaysia

B. Y. Kamaruzzaman, I. Razarudin, N. A. M. Shazili, H. Mohd Lokman and I. Sulong

Mangrove Research Unit, Institute of Oceanography, Kolej Universiti Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu (Malaysia)

The concentration of Ba, U, Cd and Mn were measured in the surface sediments along three transet of Matang mangrove. The analysis were made with the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS). In general, the element Ba, U, Cd and Mn show considerable variation spatially, largely as a result of natural variability in grain size and mineralogy. However, their concentration are significant higher near the riverside and declining as the sampling point of each transet were far away from the riverside. The sedimentation rate in this study was determined using an aritificial marker horizon method and an average sedimentation rate of about 1.08 cm/yr was obtained. In order to assess the influence of heavy metals pollution more precisely, enrichment factors (EF) were calculated. In this study, Ba, U, Cd and Mn have values singnificantly about unity and are considered to be dominantly terigenous in origin, eventhough U giving a higher averaged values of EF to about 5.00.

Geochemistry; enrichment factor; heavy metals; sedimentation rates