DISTRIBUTION OF COPPER IN THE SEPANG MANGROVE RESERVE FOREST ENVIRONMENT, MALAYSIA

Abstract

The Sepang mangrove reserve forest is being polluted by waste disposal from different sources such as pig farms, oil palm industries and households. Of the discharges untreated waste from pig farms has an important role in copper pollution in this forest area. Soil is the main reservoir of copper in this mangrove forest. Total and available copper concentrations in soil were highest in the stations nearest to the waste discharge point and decreased towards the stations near to the sea. The mean total and available copper concentrations in the soil were 145 µg g^-1 and 36 µg g^-1 respectively, whereas the mean
values of copper concentration in the river and infiltration water were 0.07 mg L^-1 and 0.04 mg L^-1 respectively. The highest mean copper concentration in Rhizophora mucronata seedlings was in the roots (4.54 µg g^-1), followed by the leaves (2.58 µg g^-1) and stems (2.19 µg g^-1).