ASSESSMENT OF ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS DISTRIBUTION IN THE SEDIMENT AND WATERS OF LANGAT RIVER
Downloads
ARTICLE HIGLIGHTS
- Langat River water and sediment quality deteriorate toward downstream.
- Dissolved organic phosphorus increases near agricultural areas.
- Sediment phosphate retention dominated by non-labile organic phosphorus.
- Downstream pollution linked to sediment sorption and nearby agriculture.
ABSTRACT
The Langat River traverses rapidly developing urban areas in Malaysia and is significantly affected by anthropogenic activities. The introduction of excessive phosphorus into rivers poses a significant ecological issue. Water and sediments were sampled from nine stations at Langat River to evaluate the current and potential impacts of organic phosphorus. The water quality parameters indicate a progressive decline downstream, attributed to allochthonous sources from tributaries and land use practices, particularly agriculture. Inorganic substances are the principal cause of pollution in the river while degradation of organic pollution biologically is reduced. Dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) plays a significant role at stations that are either relatively unpolluted or adjacent to agricultural areas, serving as a potential source of bioavailable phosphorus. The total organic phosphorus in the sediment increased downstream, predominantly comprising non-labile fractions (67–78%). The labile fractions exhibit strong correlations with dissolved oxygen (DO) (r = -0.797), dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) (r = 0.931), and conductivity (r = 0.837), suggesting internal loading to the water column. Increased non-labile fractions indicate the sediment's capacity to retain organic phosphorus. The downstream stations exhibit elevated risk owing to high sorption capacity and proximity to agricultural sources of organic phosphorus.
Abidin MZ, Kutty AA, Lihan T, Zakaria NA. 2018. Hydrological change effects on Sungai Langat water quality. Sains Malays 47(7):1401–11. DOI: 10.17576/jsm-2018-4707-07 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4707-07
Abidin RZ, Sulaiman MS, Yusoff N. 2017. Erosion risk assessment: A case study of the Langat River bank in Malaysia. Int Soil Water Conse 5(1):26–35. DOI: 10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.01.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.01.002
Ahlgren J, Reitzel K, Danielsson R, Gogoll A, Rydin E. 2006. Biogenic phosphorus in oligotrophic mountain lake sediments: Differences in composition measured with NMR spectroscopy. Water Res 40(20):3705–12. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2006.09.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2006.09.006
Ahmed MF, Alam L, Ta GC, Mohamed CA, Mokhtar M. 2016. A review on the environmental pollution of Langat River, Malaysia. AJWEP 13(4):25–31. DOI: 10.3233/AJW-160035 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/AJW-160035
Ahmed MF, Mokhtar MB. 2020 Treated water quality based on conventional method in Langat River Basin, Malaysia. Environ Earth Sci 79(18):415. DOI: 10.1007/s12665-020-09160-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09160-7
Ahmed MF, Mokhtar MB, Lim CK, Majid NA. 2022. Identification of water pollution sources for better Langat River basin management in Malaysia. Water 14(12):1904. DOI: 10.3390/w14121904 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/w14121904
Ahmed MF, Mokhtar M, Lim CK, Suza IABC, Ayob KAK, Khirotdin RPK, Majid NA. 2023. Integrated river basin management for sustainable development: Time for stronger action. Water 15(13):2497. DOI:10.3390/w15132497 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132497
Al-Badaii F, Shuhaimi-Othman M, Gasim MB. 2013. Water quality assessment of the Semenyih River, Selangor, Malaysia. J Chem 2013:871056. DOI:10.1155/2013/871056 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/871056
Aristi I, von Schiller D, Arroita M, Barceló D, Ponsatí L, García-Galán MJ, …, Acuña V. 2015. Mixed effects of effluents from a wastewater treatment plant on river ecosystem metabolism: Subsidy or stress?. Freshw Biol 60(7):1398–1410. DOI:10.1111/fwb.12576 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12576
Baldwin DS. 2013. Organic phosphorus in the aquatic environment. Environ Chem 10(6):439–54. DOI: 10.1071/EN13151 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/EN13151
Basheer AM, Hanafiah MJ, Abdulhasan M. 2017. A study on water quality from Langat River, Selangor. ASM 1(2):01–04. DOI:10.26480/asm.02.2017.01.04 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26480/asm.02.2017.01.04
Bache BW, Williams EG. 1971. A phosphate sorption index for soils. J Soil Sci 22(3): 289-301. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2389. 1971.tb01617 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1971.tb01617.x
Boyd CE. 2020.Water Quality. Cham (CH): Springer Cham. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23335-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23335-8
Bu H, Meng W, Zhang Y, Wan J. 2014. Relationships between land use patterns and water quality in the Taizi River basin, China. Ecol Indic 41:187–97. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.02.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.02.003
Bulbul A, Anushka, Mishra A. 2022. Effects of dissolved oxygen concentration on freshwater fish: A review. Int J Fish Aquat Stud 10(4):113–27. DOI: 10.22271/fish.2022.v10.i4b.2693 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22271/fish.2022.v10.i4b.2693
Chan NW. 2012. Managing urban rivers and water quality in Malaysia for sustainable water resources. Int J Water Resour Dev 28(2):343–54. DOI: 10.1080/07900627.2012.668643 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2012.668643
Duncan E, Kleinman PJ, Sharpley AN. 2012. Eutrophication of lakes and rivers. Hoboken (US): John Wiley & Sons Ltd. DOI: 10.1002/9780470015902.a0003249.pub2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0003249.pub2
Elfithri R. 2018. Restoring and managing Langat River basin, Malaysia: Challenges for a sustainable future. Int J Environ Sustain 6(4):1–10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24102/ijes.v6i4.897
Farid AM, Lubna A, Choo TG, Rahim MC, Mazlin M. 2016. A review on the chemical pollution of Langat River, Malaysia. AJWEP 13(1):9–15. DOI: 10.3233/AJW-160002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3233/AJW-160002
Ferrier RC, Edwards AC, Hirst D, Littlewood IG, Watts CD, Morris R. 2001. Water quality of Scottish rivers: spatial and temporal trends. Sci Total Environ 265(1–3):327–42. DOI: 10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00674-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00674-4
Gardolinski PCFC, Worsfold PJ, McKelvie ID. 2004. Seawater induced release and transformation of organic and inorganic phosphorus from river sediments. Water Res 38(3):688–92. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2003.10.048 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2003.10.048
Gasim MB, Zakaria N, Umar R, Mustafa AD. 2015. Analisis kualiti air fiziko-kimia dan kandungan mikrob di hulu Sungai Langat, Selangor. [A physico-chemical water quality and microbial content analysis in upstream of Langat River, Selangor.] Malay J Anal Sci 19(5):1072–83.
Harrison JA, Bouwman AF, Mayorga E, Seitzinger S. 2010. Magnitudes and sources of dissolved inorganic phosphorus inputs to surface fresh waters and the coastal zone: A new global model. Global Biogeochem Cy 24(1):GB1003. DOI: 10.1029/2009gb003590 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2009GB003590
Hashim NH, Idris MM, Abdullah M, Ahmad Tajuddin MF, Jamaluddin H, Trevor Gunggang RA, Muhazeli MF, Abdullah NS, Karim J, Yusoff M, Hashim N, Sharifuddin SS. 2018. Water quality assessment of the Langat river, Selangor. Malay Appl Biol 47(5).
Hee YY, Suratman S, Tahir NM, Jickells T. 2018. Seasonal variability and fractionation of p-based nutrients in Sungai Setiu basin, Terengganu, Malaysia. Sains 47(5):883–91. DOI: 10.17576/jsm-2018-4705-03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4705-03
Huo S, Zan F, Xi B, Li Q, Zhang J. 2011. Phosphorus fractionation in different trophic sediments of lakes from different regions, China. J Environ Monit 13(4):1088–95. DOI: 10.1039/c0em00696c DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/c0em00696c
Ji N, Wang S, Zhang L. 2017. Characteristics of dissolved organic phosphorus inputs to freshwater lakes: A case study of Lake Erhai, southwest China. Sci Total Environ 601–602:1544–55. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.265 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.265
Juahir H, Zain SM, Yusoff MK, Hanidza TIT, Armi ASM, Toriman ME, Mokhtar M. 2011. Spatial water quality assessment of Langat River Basin (Malaysia) using environmetric techniques. Environ Monit Assess 173(1–4):625–41. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1411-x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1411-x
Kasmuri N, Mohamad NF, Jamil SS, Ahmad R, Santiagoo R, Ramasamy S. 2021. Assessment of water quality and heavy metals in Semenyih River. IOP Conference Series: Earth Environ Sci 2021 646(1):012015. DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/646/1/012015/meta DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/646/1/012015
Lee, A., Nikraz, H. 2015. BOD: COD ratio as an indicator for river pollution. In: 7th International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering 88:89–94.
Li H, Liu L, Li M, Zhang X. 2013. Effects of pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and flow rate on phosphorus release processes at the sediment and water interface in storm sewer. J Anal Methods Chem 2013:104316. DOI: 10.1155/2013/104316 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/104316
Li J, Xie T, Zhu H, Zhou J, Li C, Xiong W, Xu L, Wu Y, He Z, Li X. 2021. Alkaline phosphatase activity mediates soil organic phosphorus mineralization in a subalpine forest ecosystem. Geoderma 404:115376. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115376 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115376
Lim FH, Lee WK, Khor WS, Chan L, Sulaiman MS, Shaari H, Jalil MK. 2023. River basin change index for integrated river basin management of Langat River, Malaysia. Water Policy 25(11):1035–61. DOI: 10.2166/wp.2023.035 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2023.035
Loh PS, Chen CTA, Anshari GZ, Lou JY, Wang JT, Wang SL, Wang BJ. 2016. Sedimentary Organic matter and phosphate along the Kapuas River (West Kalimantan, Indonesia). J Chem 2016:6874234. DOI: 10.1155/2016/6874234 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/6874234
Lü C, He J, Wang B. 2018. Spatial and historical distribution of organic phosphorus driven by environment conditions in lake sediments. J Environ Sci 64:32–41. DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2017.01.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2017.01.003
Mahmud NHH, Jamil NR, Abdullah AF, Sulaiman MS. 2022. Assessment of sediment replenishment volume in Langat river system. Malays J Sci 41(1): 35-53. DOI: 10.22452/mjs.vol41no1.3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22452/mjs.vol41no1.3
Ma J, Yuan Y, Zhou T, Yuan D. 2017. Determination of total phosphorus in natural waters with a simple neutral digestion method using sodium persulfate. Limnol Oceanogr: Methods 15(4):372–80. DOI: 10.1002/lom3.10165 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10165
Maitra N, Manna SK, Samanta S, Sarkar K, Debnath D, Bandopadhyay C, Sahu SK, Sharma AP. 2015. Ecological significance and phosphorus release potential of phosphate solubilizing bacteria in freshwater ecosystems. Hydrobiologia 745(1):69–83. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-014-2094-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-2094-z
McKelvie ID. 2005. Separation, preconcentration and speciation of organic phosphorus in environmental samples. In: Turner BL, Frossard E, Baldwin DS (Editors), Organic phosphorus in the environment. Wallingford (UK): CABI Publishing. p. 1-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851998220.0001
Misman NA, Sharif MF, Chowdhury AJ, Azizan NH. 2023. Water pollution and the assessment of water quality parameters: a review. Desalin Water Treat 294:79–88. DOI:10.5004/dwt.2023.29433 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2023.29433
Mohd Z, Akma N, Mengersen K, Shitan M, Juahir H, Ahmad Shahabuddi FA. 2012. Temporal water quality assessment of Langat River from 1995-2006. In: Voudouris K, Vousta D (Editors), Water quality monitoring and assessment. InTechOpen. p. 321–46. DOI: 10.5772/2411 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5772/32959
Mudryk ZJ. 2004. Decomposition of organic and solubilisation of inorganic phosphorus compounds by bacteria isolated from a marine sandy beach. Mar Biol 145(6):1227–34. DOI: 10.1007/s00227-004-1397-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-004-1397-4
Murphy J, Riley JP. 1962. A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Anal Chim Acta 27:31–6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(00)88444-5
Najafzadeh M, Ghaemi A. 2019. Prediction of the five-day biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand in natural streams using machine learning methods. Environ Monit Assess 191:1–21. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7446-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7446-8
Ni Z, Wang S, Wang Y. 2016. Characteristics of bioavailable organic phosphorus in sediment and its contribution to lake eutrophication in China. Environ Pollut 219:537–44. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.05.087 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.05.087
Ni Z, Xiao M, Luo J, Zhang H, Zheng L, Wang G, Wang S. 2021. Molecular insights into water-extractable organic phosphorus from lake sediment and its environmental implications. Chem Eng J 416:129004. DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.129004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.129004
Pardo P, Lo Âpez-Sa Ânchez JF, Rauret G. 1998. Characterisation, validation and comparison of three methods for the extraction of phosphate from sediments. Anal Chim Acta 376(2):183–95. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-2670(98)00532-7
Rim-Rukeh A. 2013. Physico-chemical and biological characteristics of stagnant surface water bodies (ponds and lakes) used for drinking and domestic purposes in Niger Delta, Nigeria. J Environ Prot 4(9):920–28. DOI: 10.4236/jep.2013.49106 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2013.49106
Rowland, AP, Haygarth PM. 1997. Determination of total dissolved phosphorus in soil solutions. J Environ Qual 26(2):410–15. DOI: 10.2134/jeq1997.00472425002600020011x DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1997.00472425002600020011x
Rubel MD, Islam MS, Akij SM, Uddin MH. 2019. An assessment on different solids, dissolved oxygen in industrial effluents and its impact on public health. Am J Biomed Sci Res 5(5):382–90. DOI: 10.34297/AJBSR.2019.05.000951 DOI: https://doi.org/10.34297/AJBSR.2019.05.000951
Ruttenberg KC. 2014. The global phosphorus cycle. In: Holland HD, Turekian KK (Editors), Treatise on Geochemistry. Second Edition. Cambridge (US): Elsevier Science. p. 499-558. DOI: 10.1016/B0-08-043751-6/08153-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-095975-7.00813-5
Samal NR, Kumar Roy P, Biswas Roy M, Pal M, Roy MB. 2015. Electrical conductivity of lake water as environmental monitoring-A case study of Rudra Sagar Lake. IOSR J Environ Sci 9(3):66–71. DOI: 10.9790/2402-09316671
Saravanathamizhan R, Perarasu VT. 2021. Improvement of biodegradability index of industrial wastewater using different pretreatment techniques. In: Shah MP, Sarkar A, Mandal S (Editors), Wastewater Treatment: Cutting-Edge Molecular Tools, Techniques and Applied Aspects Cambridge (US): Elsevier. p. 103–36. DOI: 10.1016/C2019-0-04138-6 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821881-5.00006-4
Selamat SN, Abd Majid N, Mohd Taib A, Taha MR, Osman A. 2023. The spatial relationship between landslide and land use activities in Langat River Basin: A case study. Phys Chem Earth 129:103289. DOI: 10.1016/j.pce.2022.103289 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2022.103289
Shrestha AK, Basnet N. 2018. The correlation and regression analysis of physicochemical parameters of river water for the evaluation of percentage contribution to electrical f. J Chem 2018:8369613. DOI: 10.1155/2018/8369613 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8369613
Søndergaard M, Bjerring R, Jeppesen E. 2013. Persistent internal phosphorus loading during summer in shallow eutrophic lakes. Hydrobiologia 710(1):95–107. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-012-1091-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-012-1091-3
Søndergaard M, Jensen JP, Jeppesen E. 1999. Internal phosphorus loading in shallow Danish lakes. In: Walz N, Nixdorf B (Editors), Shallow Lakes’ 98: Trophic Interactions in Shallow Freshwater and Brackish Waterbodies. Dordrecht (NL): Springer Dordrecht. p. 145–52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-2986-4_15
Spivakov BYA, Maryutina TA, Muntau H. 1999. Phosphorus speciation in water and sediments (Technical Report). Pure Appl Chem 71(11):2161–76. DOI: 10.1351/pac199971112161 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199971112161
Suki A, Yusoff MK, Poe MT. 1988. Water quality profile of Sg. Langat. Pertanika 11(2):273–81.
Syaiffudin ASI, Toriman ME. 2020. Penilaian indeks kualiti air Alur Ilmu UKM, sub-lembangan Sungai Langat. [Assessment of water quality index at Alur Ilmu, UKM sub-catchment of Langat River]. Malay J Soc Space 16(1):112–25. DOI: 10.17576/geo-2020-1601-09 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17576/geo-2020-1601-09
Teurlincx S, van Wijk D, Mooij WM, Kuiper JJ, Huttunen I, Brederveld RJ, Chang M, Janse JH, Woodward B, Hu F, Janssen AB. 2019. A perspective on water quality in connected systems: modelling feedback between upstream and downstream transport and local ecological processes. Curr Opin Env Sust 40:21–9. DOI: 10.1016/j.cosust.2019.07.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2019.07.004
Wan J, Yuan X, Han L, Ye H, Yang X. 2020. Characteristics and distribution of organic phosphorus fractions in the surface sediments of the inflow rivers around Hongze lake, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 17(2):648. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17020648 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17020648
Watson SJ, Cade-Menun BJ, Needoba JA, Peterson TD. 2018. Phosphorus forms in sediments of a river-dominated estuary. Front Mar Sci 5:302. DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00302 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00302
Wang XC, Sun S, Ma HQ, Liu Y. 2006. Sources and distribution of aliphatic and polyaromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China. Mar Pollut Bull 52(2):129-138. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.08.010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.08.010
Yap CK. 2013. Variations of electrical conductivity between upstream and downstream of Langat River, Malaysia: Its significance as a single indicator of water quality deterioration. Pertanika 36(4): 299–310.
Yu J, Ding S, Zhong J, Fan C, Chen Q, Yin H, Zhang L, Zhang Y. 2017. Evaluation of simulated dredging to control internal phosphorus release from sediments: Focused on phosphorus transfer and resupply across the sediment-water interface. Sci Total Environ 592:662–73. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.219 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.219
Zhang J, Yu ZG, Wang JT, Ren JL, Chen HT, Xiong H, Dong LX, Xu WY. 1999. The subtropical Zhejiang (Pearl River) estuary: Nutrient, trace species and their relationship to photosynthesis. Estuar Coast Shelf S 49(3):385–400. DOI: 10.1006/ecss.1999.0500 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/ecss.1999.0500
Zhu Y, Wu F, He Z, Giesy JP, Feng W, Mu Y, Feng C, Zhao X, Liao H, Tang Z. 2015. Influence of natural organic matter on the bioavailability and preservation of organic phosphorus in lake sediments. Chem Geol 397:51–60. DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.01.006 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.01.006
Copyright (c) 2026 Micheal Rajaram, Muskhazli Mustafa, Nor Azwady Abd Aziz, Noor Haza Fazlin Hashim, Bashirah Mohd Fazli, Bilyaminu Garba Jega
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree with the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, with the work 1 year after publication simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-noncommerical-noderivates 4.0 International License that allows others to share, copy and redistribute the work in any medium or format, but only where the use is for non-commercial purposes and an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal is mentioned.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
