Water quality characteristics and modeling of Tasik Aman, USM, Penang

• Published in: IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science Vol. 711; no. 1; p. 12006
• Main Authors: Munirah, Z M, Muhammad Izzat Emir, K B, Wan Maznah, W O, Teh, S Y, Ismail, A H, Eshak, M B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 01.03.2021
• Subjects: Algae; Ammonia; Biochemical oxygen demand; Chlorophyll; Conductivity; Dissolved oxygen; Eutrophication; Lakes; Nitrates; Nutrient content; Nutrients; Orthophosphate; Oxygen demand; Phosphorus; Retention basins; Solid suspensions; Total dissolved solids; Total suspended solids; Variance analysis; Water analysis; Water bodies; Water quality; Water sampling; Water temperature; Penang Malaysia
• ISSN: 1755-1307; 1755-1315
• DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/711/1/012006

Abstract Tasik Aman was constructed in 1990 as a flood retention pond in the Universiti Sains Malaysia, Main Campus, Penang, Malaysia. Tasik Aman has been experiencing accumulation of excess nutrients from the surrounding area mainly from Sungai Gambir, causing high algae population in the water body. Thus, a study was carried out in December 2019, focusing on the current water quality determination of Tasik Aman , to predict the future water quality condition of the lake. Four sites were designated to conduct water quality analysis comprising of water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, transparency, biological oxygen demand (BOD), total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, conductivity, orthophosphate, chlorophyll- a , total phosphorus, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Some physico-chemical parameters were measured in-situ while some were measured in the lab by analyzing the water samples collected in the field in accordance with APHA (2005). DO and BOD data were modeled using Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP). Tasik Aman showed high readings in temperature, TSS, TDS, conductivity, DO, BOD, chlorophyll- a , and nitrate-nitrogen. One-way ANOVA further revealed significant differences of DO, TDS, conductivity, transparency, orthophosphate, nitrate, and chlorophyll- a among the stations of Tasik Aman (p<0.05). Based on WASP analysis, simulated graphs produced for Tasik Aman showed a decrease in DO and an increase in BOD level proving that the lake contain high nutrient content that may exacerbate the eutrophication.