Water quality simulation for rehabilitation of a eutrophic lake in Selangor, Malaysia

Abstract

More than 50 % of lakes worldwide, including 60 % in Malaysia, are contaminated by eutrophication due to excessive nutrient inputs. These nutrients include phosphorus and nitrogen derived from agriculture, industry and domestic wastes. Eutrophication is an undesirable lake condition characterized by turbid water and dominated by abundant growth of algae, resulting in suppressed macrophytes and in reduced ecosystem services. Healthy lakes provide ecosystem services that have been valued to be worth billions to the Malaysian Gross Domestic Production annually. Rehabilitation of eutrophic lakes located in urban areas is therefore urgently needed. A recreational lake located in Selangor Malaysia has shown persistent signs of eutrophication with chlorophyll-a level fluctuating between 10 and 25 µg/L. Left untreated, the lake water quality will deteriorate further, potentially inducing a regime shift to hypereutrophic condition, caused by intense interaction between water column phosphorus and sediment phosphorus. Based upon water and sediment quality data compiled over the last eight years, this paper presents analysis and model simulations for implementation of a sustainable program for controlling eutrophication using low cost technology.