1.

0 Introduction

1.1 Industrial Effluent

Effluent is an out flowing of water or gases from a natural body of water or from a
human-made structure, for example drain and pipe. Effluent is defined by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA, 2006) as “wastewater – treated or untreated – that
flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall”. Then the Compact Oxford English
Dictionary (2010) defines effluent as “liquid waste or sewage discharge into a river or the sea”.

The effluent is generally considered to be water pollution such as the wastewater

discharge from industrial facilities. The composition of effluent from industrial operation varies
widely depending on the function and activity of the particular industry. It can encompass a wide
range of potential contaminants and concentrations. If the effluent from industry not being
monitored frequently, it may cause the degradation of the environment surrounding, affecting the
receiving river water and also the soil we live on. Below is the several types of industries and
their effects of effluent to the river and environment.

1.1.1 Food Industry

Effluent generated from food agriculture and food operation has distinctive
characteristics that set it apart from common municipal wastewater managed by public or private
wastewater treatment plant throughout the world. It is biodegradable and non-toxic, but has high
concentration of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS) (European
Environment Agency, 2001). The constituents of food and agriculture waste are often complex to
predict due to the difference in BOD and pH in effluents from vegetable, fruit and meat products.
The processing of food from raw material requires larger volumes of high grade water.
Vegetable washing generates water with high loads of particulate matter and some dissolve
organic contents.

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 1.1.2 Palm Oil Industry

Palm oil processing is carried out in mills where oil is extracted from the palm fruits. A
large quantity of water is used during the extraction. The extraction of crude palm oil from the
fresh fruit resulted in 50% of the water in palm oil mill effluent (POME). The extraction of
POME also creates brown effluents which can devastate any aquatic if dumped directly into the
river or not treat it properly (M.A. Ngan, 1995).

It is estimated that for 1 tones of crude palm oil produced 5 to 7.5 tones of water will
ends up as POME (Ahmad et al., 2003). Malaysia produced about 6.7 million tones contributing
to 15.9 million cubic meters of POME A.N. Ma, Palm Oil Development, 2000). Thus the amount
of POME generated would be equivalent to that of swage discharged by a population of 22
million of people. With this, Malaysia was identified as the one that produce the largest pollution
for water pollution into the river throughout the country.

Palm oil mill effluents are high volume liquid waste which are non toxic. It has a very
unpleasant odor. It can contribute to high pollution if not treated properly and discharge to the
river. The BOD and COD of the effluent is very high. The raw POME has a high BOD which is
hundred times more than that of sewage. For BOD, the value is around 25,000 mg/l and COD is
around 50,000 mg/l. This also goes for the Ammoniacal Nitrogen and Oil and Grease. The
effluent is also acidic that the pH is around 4.0 to 4.7.

1.1.3 Electrical and Electronic Industry

E-waste is defined as waste from the assembly of electrical and electronic appliance that
consists of components such as accumulators, mercury-switches, glass from cathode-ray tubes
and other contaminated with cadmium, mercury, lead, nickel, chromium, copper or manganese.

E-waste differs from other discarded materials like paper and glass that enter the waste
stream in a number of significant ways. This waste contains a host of toxins such as lead,
mercury, cadmium and brominates flame retardants as well as aluminium, iron, gold, silver and
rare earth metals. If it is not manages well and discharge to the water without proper treatments,
it will give hazard to environment and human health.

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1.2 The River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a

sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely
before reaching another body of water (Luna, 1994). Rivers are of immense importance
geologically, biologically, historically and culturally. Although they contain only about 0.0001%
of the total amount of water in the world at any given time, rivers are vital carriers of water and
nutrients to areas all around the earth (Hebert, 2008). River is playing an important role in
Malaysia and it is the major sources of water. Rivers provide power generation, agriculture and
industrial consumption and water for domestic usage.

Malaysia is a rapidly developing country, especially in industry and tourisms. Due to this
development of country, the progress have made the environmental fall into the pollution
problems. It is proven in DOE report in 2006 where the contribution of water pollution source
from manufacturing industry is 45.07% (DOE, 2006). The river pollution in Malaysia is due to
addition of pollutants from various types of point and non-point (diffuse) sources in the
catchment such as waste disposed from the industrial.

The Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia is measuring the pollutions from the
industrial premises and wastewater treatment plants. Out of 120 main rivers monitored in the
country, only 44.8% is identified as clean (DOE, 2004). Quality water is important for good
health. About 98% of the treated water is supplied from the rivers in Malaysia. Therefore a
healthy river is very important for potable and palatable water supply in the country.

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1.3 Problem Statement

As a developed country, Malaysia is heading well towards achieving Vision 2020 as an

industrialized nation. Inevitably, the industrial sector is rapidly emerging as the major threat to
the environment and biological diversity in the country. The early industrialization phase of
developing the resource-based industries in 1970, primarily palm oil and rubber processing,
resulted in the of large amounts of organic effluent into the waterways. As industrialization
progressed, the major sources of industrial water pollution also increase. The Department of
Environment identified the chemical, food and beverage, textile, metal finishing, animal
husbandry, and the rubber and palm oil processing industries as the biggest water polluters. It is
reported that all highly polluted rivers are located in highly urbanized or industrial area. Thus,
the industries have become a threat to the adequate living and the ecosystem.

Many industrial facilities provide pretreatment before its discharge into the environment.
The conventional industrial wastewater treatment uses chemicals. Hence, still contribute to
pollution when react with certain substance.

This research determine the characterization of effluent from industrial area and its
impacts towards the receiving river water .Then to determine the class of water by calculating
Water Quality Index (WQI) using water samples from river that effluent is discharge. Besides,
this research would also investigate the quality of river water if too much contaminant passed
from different industries.

Objectives

i. To characterize the industrial effluent

ii. To determine its impacts toward the receiving river system
iii. To calculate the water quality of river in Melaka where the effluent from industrial is
discharge
iv. To be able to identify which class the river quality stand after analysis and calculation has
been done.
v. To investigate quality of the river if it receives too many discharges effluents from
different industries.

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2.0 Methodology

There are many types of analysis or testing that can be done on the sample. The analysis is
required to determine the characteristics of the water sample and the water quality based on the
parameters studied. All the analysis or experiment is based on American People Health and
Association (APHA, 1989), ASTM (Standard Method for the Examination of Water and
Wastewater, 20th Edition) and Laboratory Manual for Environmental Science.

2.1 Physical Characteristics

Physical characteristics are the simple measurement that can be made on site which
requires direct contact with water sources to do the measurement. It not require water sample to
be collected and testing in the laboratory. It also can be known as In-situ measurements. In this
analysis, the physical characteristics measurements that will be tested are:

i. Temperature
ii. Turbidity
iii. Conductivity
iv. pH
v. Dissolve Oxygen (DO)
vi. Suspended Solids (SS)

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 2.1.1 Temperature

Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common

nations of hot and cold. Temperature is measured using the thermometer. Much of the world uses
the Celsius scale (°C) for most temperature measurement.

The measurement of temperature on the river water is important because it has extremely
important ecological consequence. In generally, increasing water temperature results in greater
biological activity and more rapid growth. High temperature of water also may stress aquatic
ecosystems by reducing the ability of water to hold essential dissolved gases like oxygen. The
result of discharge from industrial effluents are usually thermal pollution.

2.1.2 Turbidity

Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles

(suspended solids) that are generally invisible to the eye, similar to the smoke in air. The
measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality. A property of particles, that they will
scatter a light beam focused on them, is considered more meaningful measure of turbidity in
water. Turbidity measured in this way uses an instrument called a nephelometer with the detector
setup to the side of the light beam. The units of turbidity are called Nephelonetric Turbidity
Units (NTU).

In water bodies such as rivers, lakes and reservoirs, high turbidity levels can reduce the
amount of light reaching lower depths, which can inhibit the growth of submerged aquatic plants
and consequently affect species which are dependent on them, such as fish. High value of
turbidity also can decrease the Dissolve Oxygen (DO) concentration in the rivers (Sawyer C.N,
2004).

2.1.3 Conductivity

Conductivity is a measurement of the ability of an aqueous solution to carry an electrical

current. There are several factors that determine the degree to which water will carry an electrical
current. This includes the concentration or number of ions, temperature and oxidation state of the
water.

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 2.1.4 pH

In chemistry, pH ia a measure of the acidity or basic of an aqueous solution. Pure water is

said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at 25°C. pH is one of the most common water quality
tests performed. pH indicates the sample’s acidity, but is actually a measurement of the potential
activity of hydrogen ions (H+) in the sample.

Changes in the pH value of water are important to many organisms. Most organisms have
adapted to life in water of a specific pH and may die if it changes even slightly. Also when acid
waters (waters with low pH value) come into contact with certain chemicals and metals, this
often makes them more poisonous than normal (O.Brian, 2010)

2.1.5 Dissolve Oxygen (DO)

Dissolve Oxygen (DO) is a relative measure of the amount of oxygen that is dissolve or
carried in a given medium. It can be measured with a dissolve oxygen probe such as an oxygen
sensor.

DO in the environment generally refers to the amount of oxygen dissolve in the soil or
bodies of water. It is important to the sustainability of a particular ecosystem. Sufficient oxygen
may occur in water bodies such as rivers and ponds, tending to suppress the presence of aerobic
organisms such as fish. It may result in fish kills and other adverse events.

2.1.6 Suspended Solids

Suspended Solids (SS) refers to small solid particles which remain in suspension in water
as a colloid or due to the motion of the water. It is used as one indicator of water quality.
Suspended solids are important as pollutants and pathogens are carried on the surface of
particles. The smaller the particle size, the greater the surface area per unit mass of particle, and
so the greater the pollutant load that is likely to be carried.

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2.2 Chemical Characteristics

Chemical characteristics analyses for the water sample are the complex measurement that
must be made in laboratory. It requires the water sample to be collected, preserved and bringing
back to the laboratory for analysis. Below are the chemical analysis that have to be done to
determine the water quality of the river:

i. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

ii. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
iii. Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N)

2.2.1 Biological Oxygen Demand

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a chemical procedure or experiment to determine

the amount of dissolve oxygen needed by aerobic biologically organisms in a water body to
break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a
specific time period. It is widely used as an indication of the organic quality of water (Clescerl
L.S et al, 199). It is most commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per liter of
sample during 5 days of incubation at 20 °C and is often used as a robust surrogate of the degree
organic pollution of water.

If there is a large quantity of organic waste in the river water or water supply, there will
also be a lot of bacteria present working to decompose this waste. In this case, the demand for
oxygen will be high (due to all the bacteria) so the BOD level will be high. As this waste is
consumed or dispersed through the water, BOD levels begin to decline. When BOD levels are
high, DO levels decrease because the oxygen that is available in the water is being consumed by
the bacteria. Since less dissolve oxygen is available in the water, fish and aquatic organisms may
not survive.

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 2.2.2 Chemical Oxygen Demand

In environmental chemistry, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) test is widely used as a

means of measuring the organic strength of domestic and industrial effluent. This test allows for
measurement of an effluent in terms of the total quantity of oxygen required for oxidation to
carbon dioxide and water. Most applications of COD determine the amount of organic pollutants
found in surface water like rivers and lakes, making COD a useful measure of water quality.

COD is the amount of oxygen consumed to completely chemically oxidize the organic
water constituents to inorganic end products. It is expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/l) which
indicates the mass of oxygen consumed per liter of solution. COD is often used as measurement
of pollutants in natural and wastewater to assess the strength of waste such as sewage and
industrial effluent wastes.

2.2.3Ammoniacal Nitrogen

Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N) is a component of nitrogen, which is adopted as an

indicator to determine pollution by sewage and industrial effluent. It is extremely soluble in
water, reacting with water to produce ammonium hydroxide. Excessive Ammoniacal Nitrogen in
rivers and waterways can cause taste and odor problems, apart from introducing a psychological
problem to consumers, who will be under impression that the water source is contaminated.

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2.3 Water Quality

Water Quality is the physical, chemical, and biological characteristic of water. It is a

measure of the condition of water relative to the requirement of one or more biotic species and or
to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards
against which compliance can be assessed. The most common standard used to assess water
quality relate to drinking water, safety of human contact and for the health of ecosystems. Sircus
(2005) said that people need to know what is happening to the quality of water, what is being
done to it, how it was contaminated and what are the risk.

2.3.1 Water Quality Index

The Department of Environment (DOE) used Water Quality Index (WQI) to evaluate the
statues of the river water quality. The WQI serves as the basis for environment assessment of a
watercourse in relation to pollution load characterization and designation of classes of beneficial
uses as provided for under the National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (NWQS).

After the analysis has been done, the data result data that have been processed were used
to calculate the WQI. Below is the formula to calculate WQI:

DOE-WQI = 0.22*SiDO + 0.19*SiBOD + 0.16*SiCOD + 0.15*SiAN +

0.16*SiSS + 0.12*SipH

Note: * indicates multiplication

SiDO = Sub-index Dissolve Oxygen

SiBOD = Sub-index Biological Oxygen Demand

SiCOD = Sub-index Chemical Oxygen Demand

SiAN = Sub-index Ammoniacal Nitrogen

SiSS = Sub-index Suspended Solids

SipH = Sub-index for Acidity / Alkalinity

Figure 2.1: The Malaysian Department of Environment Water Quality Index Model

(Source: DOE, 1986)

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 Then, to calculate the sub-index value for each parameter, all of them have different
equation to calculate. Table below shows the equation which will be used depends on the
different concentration of each parameter.

Sub-Index Concentration (mg/l) Formula

(a) DO (in % saturation) x<=8 =0
x > = 92 = 100
8 < x < 92 = -0.395 + 0.03x2 – 0.0002x3
(b) BOD x<=5 = 100.4 – 4.23x
x>5 = 108e-0.055x – 0.1x
(c) COD x < = 20 = -1.33x + 99.1
x > 20 = 103e-0.0157x – 0.04x
(d) AN x < = 0.3 = 100.5 – 105x
0.3 < x < 4 = 94e-0.573x – 5 [ x – 2 ]
x>=4 =0
(e) SS x < = 100 = 97.5e-0.00676x + 0.05x
100 < x < 1000 = 71e-0.0016x – 0.015x
x > = 1000 =0
(f) pH x < 5.5 = 17.2 – 17.2x + 5.02x2
5.5 < = x < 7 = -242 + 95.5x – 6.67x2
7 < = x < 8.75 = -181 + 82.4x – 6.05x2
x > = 8.75 = 536 – 77.0x + 2.76x
Table 2.1: Best-fit equation for the estimation of the various sub-index values of the DOE-WQI

(Source: DOE Malaysia, 1986)

After the WQI have been calculated, the value that obtained is used to determine which
class that the river quality stands for. The DOE-WQI standard value for which class and its class
designation is shown at table below:

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 Class DOE-WQI Standard Value Class Limit
I 92.6 92.6 - 100
II 75.8 75.8 - 92.5
III 55.9 55.9 – 75.7
IV 31.9 31.9 – 55.8
V < 31.9 0 – 31.8
Table 2.2: Calculated standard values from DOE-WQI and the class limit (Source: DOE, 1986)

Class Designation Beneficial Uses of River

Class I Conservation of Natural Environment,
Water Supply I- practically no treatment necessary (except by
disinfection or boiling only)
Fishery I – very sensitive aquatic species
Class IIA Water Supply II – conventional treatment required,
Fishery II – sensitive aquatic species
Class IIB Recreational use with body contact
Class III Water Supply III – extensive treatment required,
Fishery III – common of economic and value and tolerant species,
Livestock Drinking
Class IV Irrigation
Class V Water unsuitable for specified beneficial uses
Table 2.3:Malaysia National Water Quality Classification System (Source: DOE,
Malaysia,1990)

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