Heavy Metal Concentration Assessment Using Transplanted Lichen Usnea Misaminensis at Pasir Gudang, Johor

Abstract

Heavy metals were produced by motor vehicles and industry as part of rapid urbanization effects. The objective of this study is to assess the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn, Cr) in Pasir Gudang, Johor using lichen transplanted method. Samples of Usnea misaminensis have been transplanted into the metropolitan climate. The lichens were collected from the National Park of Endau Rompin, Johor. It’s a remote area. Fifteen sampling sites were chosen and heavy metals were exposed to lichen transplants at these stations for approximately 4-6 weeks. Exposed lichens have been studied using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to assess the concentration of heavy metals in each sample. One-way ANOVA has also been used to check that there is major difference in the concentration of heavy metals in Pasir Gudang, Johor. The test revealed that the maximum concentration of iron (Fe) was 84.43 μg / g and the highest concentration of chromium (Cr) is 0.66 µg/g. A mathematical One-way ANOVA study found that there is a substantial difference between the heavy metal concentration with a P-value of 0.0000 < 0.05. The Tukey study has showed that Fe has slightly higher amounts relative to the others. This result suggest that the growing number of passenger cars would often raise the accumulation of heavy metals in the environment. Transplanted lichens may be an effective method to measuring air quality in the metropolitan region of Malaysia.