A pristine environment and water quality in perspective: Maliau Basin, Borneo's mysterious world

  1. Mazlin Bin Mokhtar1,
  2. Ahmad Zaharin Aris2,
  3. Mohd Harun Abdullah3,
  4. Mohd Kamil Yusoff2,
  5. Md. Pauzi Abdullah1,
  6. Abd. Rahim Idris1,
  7. Raja Ibrahim Raja Uzir1

Article first published online: 24 JUL 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-6593.2008.00139.x

Issue

Water and Environment Journal

Water and Environment Journal

Volume 23, Issue 3, pages 219–228, September 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Mokhtar, M. B., Aris, A. Z., Abdullah, M. H., Yusoff, M. K., Abdullah, M. P., Idris, A. R. and Raja Uzir, R. I. (2009), A pristine environment and water quality in perspective: Maliau Basin, Borneo's mysterious world. Water and Environment Journal, 23: 219–228. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-6593.2008.00139.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

  2. 2

    Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

  3. 3

    School of Science and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sabah, Malaysia

*Correspondence Mazlin Bin Mokhtar, Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. Email: mazlin@ukm.my

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 23 AUG 2009
  2. Article first published online: 24 JUL 2008

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (326K)

Keywords:

  • Maliau Basin;
  • water chemistry;
  • water quality

Abstract

The chemical characteristics of the surface water of Eucalyptus River, in Maliau Basin, were studied based on its major ion chemistry and its suitability for drinking, domestic use and irrigation. Water samples from the river were collected and analysed for pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, Cl, SO4, Ca, Mg, Na and K. Besides major elements, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, Bi, Cd, Ba, Pb, As, Al, V, Se, Ag, Sr and Li were also determined in this study. The results show that the river water of the area reflects natural factors and is regarded as fresh water and suitable for drinking and domestic use. The calculated values of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Mg hazard and salinity hazard indicate that the river water is of high quality and suitable for agricultural and irrigation purposes. This study contributes baseline data for a pristine, forested environment for future reference.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (326K)