Abstract
The concentrations of lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, iron, and mercury in the water, sediment and biota of the Singapore River were determined. The concentration of the various metals in water showed significant variation at different sampling times and there was enrichment oflead content. The spatial patterns of metal distribution in the sediment could be due to the different pollution sources such as exhaust emission from boats and other environmental variables such as clay content of sediment or tide level. In the biota, higher amounts of metals were found in species inhabiting the river bed while organisms of higher trophic level such as free-swimming fishes and crabs accumulated lower amounts. In general, the flesh of fishes and crabs had the least content of metals compared to other tissues. The concentration of various metals in bivalve, Mytilopsis sallei, which were found extensively in the river did not reflect the pollution distribution.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Agemian, H. and Chou, A.S.Y.: 1976, ‘An Improved Digestion Method for the Extraction of Mercury from Environmental Samples’, Analyst. 101, 91–95.
Bloom, H. and Ayling, G.M.: 1977, ‘Heavy Metals in the Derwent Estuary’, Environ. Geol. 2, 3–22.
Chai, S.B.: 1975, ‘A Study of the Levels of Some Selected Heavy Metals in River and Seawater and Marine Biota from Coastal Waters Around S‘pore’, M.Sc. Thesis, Institute of Natural Sciences, Chern. Dept., Nanyang U., 85 pp. Unpublished.
Chai, S.B. and Wong, M.K.: 1976, ‘Heavy Metals in Marine Biota from Coastal Waters Around S’pore‘, J. S’pore Nat. Acad Sci. 5, 47–53.
COBSEA: 1986, ‘Report on Cobsea Workshop on Cleaning up of Urban River (Action Plan for the Sea of East Asia)’, 14-16 Jan. 1986, S’pore’.
De bosz, K., Babich, H. and Stotzky, G.: 1985, ‘Toxicity of Lead to Soil Respiration, Meditation by Clay Minerals, Humic Acids and Compost’, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 35, 517–524.
EPA: 1976, ‘Quality Criteria for Water’, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pp. 123–127.
Forstner, U. and Wittman, G.T.W.: 1983, ‘Metal Pollution in the Aquatic Environment’, 2nd revised edition, Springer-Verlag, 486 pp.
Goh, T.S.: 1973, ‘Some Studies on Mercury Pollution in Aquatic Systems’, Hons. Thesis, Dept. of Zoology. U. of S’pore, 77 pp. Unpublished.
Hart, B.T.: 1982, ‘Australia Water Quality Criteria for Heavy Metals’, Australian Water Resources Council Technical Paper No. 77.
Lodenius, M., Seppanen, A., and Autio, S.: 1981, ‘Absorption of Mercury in Soils with Different Humus Content’, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 39, 593–600.
Oliver, B.G. and Kinraide, J.: 1972, ‘Heavy Metal Concentrations in Ottawa River and Rideau River Sediments. Inland Water Branch, Canadian Centre Inland Water’, Sci. Ser. 14, 1–10.
Philips, D.J.H.: 1976, ‘The Common Mussel Mytilus Edulis as an Indicator of Pollution by Zinc, Cadmium, Lead, and Copper. I. Effects of Environmental Variables on Uptake of Metals’, Mar. Biol. 38, 59–69.
Pillay, K.K.S., Thomas, C.C., Sondel, J.A., and Hyche, C.M.: 1972, ‘Mercury Pollution of Lake Erie Ecosphere’, Environ. Res. 5, 172–181.
Rahman, A., Chia, L.S., and Chung, S.P.: 1979, ‘Pollution of Water by Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals Around S’pore’, Proceeding of 2nd Symposium on Our Environment, Nov. 14-16, 1979, Institute of natural sciences, Nanyang U., pp. 276–293.
Schulz-Baldes: 1972, ‘Toxicity and Accumulation of Lead in the Common Mussel, Mytilus edulis in Laboratory Experiment’, Mar. Biol. 16, 226–229.
Seagran, H.L.: 1970, ‘Mercury in Great Lakes Fish’, Limnos 3, 3–10.
Yip, W.K., Loo, M., Hsu, L., Chou, L.M., and Khoo, H.W.: 1987, ‘Conditions and Life in the Singapore River’, Singapore Scientist 13, 59–64.
WHO: 1972, ‘Health Hazards of the Human Environment’, Geneva 1–377.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1991 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sin, Y.M., Wong, M.K., Chou, L.M., Alias, N.B. (1991). A Study of the Heavy Metal Concentrations of the Singapore River. In: Lee, H.K. (eds) Fourth Symposium on our Environment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2664-9_44
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2664-9_44
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5178-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2664-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive