Assessment of heavy metal mobilization and bioremediation of soils from selected landfill sites / Abubakar Umm-Kulthum Gimba

Abubakar Umm-Kulthum , Gimba (2017) Assessment of heavy metal mobilization and bioremediation of soils from selected landfill sites / Abubakar Umm-Kulthum Gimba. Masters thesis, University of Malaya.

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Abstract

This study focused on the speciation and bioremediation of heavy metals from two non sanitary landfills of different status (operating and closed) in Malaysia. Leachate contaminated soils from Bukit Beruntung (operating) and Taman Beringin (closed) landfills were analyzed using sequential extraction procedure. Six heavy metals namely Mn, Zn, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cu were considered. Analytical determinations was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results indicate that in Bukit Beruntung (operating), Zn, Mn and Pb were the highest concentration of metals observed in the mobile phase while only Cu and Cr concentration was predominant in the immobile phase. Similarly, in Taman Beringin (closed), Mn, Zn and Pb were the highest concentration of metals observed in the mobile phase while Cr, Ni and Cu were mostly observed in the immobile phase. The mobility of most metals were higher in Taman Beringin (closed) compared to Bukit Beruntung (operating) which shows that metals found in Taman Beringin (closed) could pose a more serious threat to the environment. The activity or inactivity may have affected metal species in both landfills studied. Bioremediation via bioaugmentation of soils from both landfills was also carried out over a course of 100 days, soil microcosms were taken for heavy metal analysis using sequential extraction procedure after the bioaugmentation (at Day 100). Reduction in Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn in BB and Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn in TB concentration was observed for metals in both mobile and immobile phase by Day 100. Bioaugmentation of leachate contaminated soils thus showed indigeneous micro organisms reduced metal concentrations in both landfills although mobility of Mn and Zn in BB and Mn in TB was observed and thus could still pose ecological risk.

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