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Preliminary assessment of selected metals in agricultural soils in Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine the concentration of selected metals in agricultural soils and to identify the possible sources. Fifteen soil samples were collected from four cultivated areas and from an undisturbed area (as control) in Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia. Four cultivated areas consist of fruit farm, rubber, palm oil and vegetation. Physicochemical tests were conducted to investigate soil pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon and particle size analysis. Metal concentration was analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results were dominated by Fe (<450 mg kg−1) followed by Ni (<16 mg kg−1), Cu (<10 mg kg−1), and Pb (<83 µg kg−1). The highest concentrations of Fe (428.87 mg kg−1) and Pb (82.42 µg kg−1) were determined in rubber soil samples. The highest concentration of Ni was found in fruit farm soil samples (15.60 mg kg−1) and the highest Cu concentration was in vegetation soil samples (9.50 mg kg−1). Enrichment factor (EF) calculation revealed that metal concentration in soils was identified which mostly came from natural sources (EF < 10). Contamination factor, cluster analysis, and principle component analysis suggest there was a slight Cu contamination in vegetation soil samples.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (Pahang) for providing all necessary research facilities, especially the laboratory instruments. Thanks to Mr. Mohd Fauzie Idrus for supporting in the GFAAS analysis and Mr. Joshua J. Stuart for assistance with the proofreading of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA (Pahang), 26400, Bandar Tun Abdul Razak Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia

    Fazrul Razman Sulaiman, Noor Fitrina Sakilah Mustaffa & Siti Norhafiza Mohd Khazaai

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  1. Fazrul Razman Sulaiman
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  2. Noor Fitrina Sakilah Mustaffa
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  3. Siti Norhafiza Mohd Khazaai
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Correspondence to Fazrul Razman Sulaiman.

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Sulaiman, F.R., Mustaffa, N.F.S. & Mohd Khazaai, S.N. Preliminary assessment of selected metals in agricultural soils in Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia. Environ Earth Sci 75, 223 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4926-1

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