Lumut Jati Sebagai Bioindikator Pemendapan Logam Berat di Sekitar Stesen Janakuasa Elektrik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz, Kapar, Klang, Selangor

Moss as a Bioindicator of Heavy Metal Deposition Around the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Electric Power Station, Kapar, Klang, Selangor

Abstract

Stesen Janakuasa Elektrik berasaskan arang batu merupakan antara penyumbang utama peningkatan indeks pencemaran udara, yang memberi kesan buruk kepada manusia dan ekosistem. Namun, peralatan konvensional sedia ada memerlukan kepakaran tinggi serta kos yang mahal. Justeru, kajian ini dijalankan untuk menilai potensi lumut jati sebagai bioindikator dalam pemantauan pencemaran logam berat di kawasan perindustrian. Ini kerana lumut jati berupaya menyerap logam berat daripada atmosfera melalui permukaan yang luas dan mempunyai kadar metabolisme yang rendah. Lokasi pensampelan adalah di sekitar Stesen Janakuasa Elektrik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz, Kapar, Klang, Selangor (kawasan tercemar), manakala Bukit Fraser, Pahang dipilih sebagai lokasi kawalan (kurang tercemar). Sampel lumut jati dikutip, dikeringkan dan diayak dengan penapis 100 µm, kemudian diproses menjadi pelet menggunakan asid borik sebelum dianalisis melalui kaedah Sinar-X Pendarfluor (XRF). Enam unsur logam berat yang dianalisis ialah natrium (Na), ferum (Fe), kuprum (Cu), kalium (K), zink (Zn) dan mangan (Mn). Data kepekatan logam berat dibandingkan menggunakan Ujian-t Sampel Tidak Bersandar untuk menentukan perbezaan signifikan, manakala ANOVA sehala digunakan untuk menilai sama ada jarak dari sumber pencemaran memberi kesan terhadap kepekatan logam dalam sampel. Hasil menunjukkan tiada perbezaan signifikan (p > 0.05) antara kepekatan logam berat di Klang dan Bukit Fraser. ANOVA juga menunjukkan jarak dari sumber pencemaran tidak mempengaruhi taburan logam dalam lumut jati. Namun, sisihan piawai besar dan variasi lokasi ketara menunjukkan faktor persekitaran seperti kelembapan, kedudukan berhampiran sistem saliran dan variasi spesies boleh mempengaruhi corak bioakumulasi. Oleh itu, penggunaan lumut jati sesuai dijadikan sebagai bioindikator pencemaran logam berat secara saintifik dan mampan.

Coal-fired power stations are among the main contributors to the increase in air pollution indices, which have adverse effects on humans and ecosystems. However, existing conventional equipment requires high expertise and is expensive. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the potential of moss as a bioindicator in monitoring heavy metal pollution in industrial areas. This is because moss is able to absorb heavy metals from the atmosphere through a large surface area and has a low metabolic rate. The sampling location was around the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Power Station, Kapar, Klang, Selangor (polluted area), while Bukit Fraser, Pahang was chosen as the control location (less polluted). Moss samples were collected, dried and sieved with a 100 µm filter, then processed into pellets using boric acid before being analyzed using the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) method. The six heavy metal elements analyzed were sodium (Na), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), potassium (K), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). Heavy metal concentration data were compared using Unpaired Samples t-Test to determine significant differences, while one-way ANOVA was used to assess whether distance from the pollution source affected the metal concentration in the sample. The results showed that there was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between heavy metal concentrations in Klang and Bukit Fraser. ANOVA also showed that distance from the pollution source did not affect the distribution of metals in moss. However, the large standard deviation and significant location variation indicate that environmental factors such as humidity, proximity to drainage systems and species variation can affect the bioaccumulation pattern. Therefore, the use of moss is suitable as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution in a scientific and sustainable manner.