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Prof. Dr. Zailina Hashim

Dept. of Environmental and Occupational Health

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Universiti Putra Malaysia

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

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Background:

INTRODUCTION

Regular shapes of bauxite rock. Width of sample 8 cm(Source: http://www.sandatlas.org/bauxite/)

Bauxite is a rock containingaluminum hydroxide, mostly gibbsite

that is principle ore of aluminum(Deer et al., 1996).

Bauxite mining activities in Kuantan,

Pahang has suddenly increased in 2014following the ban of bauxite export fromIndonesia in January 2014 (Ahmad, 2016)

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

INTRODUCTIONThe mining of bauxite ore in Kuantan, Pahang had started in Balok since early 2013 has sudden increase in 2014 followed the ban of bauxite export from Indonesia in January 2014. The Star reported on 19 December 2015, mining activities in Kuantan increased from, a mere 208 770 tonnes in 2013 to 963 000 tonnes in 2014, to a staggering 20 million tonnes in 2015.

Bauxite mining has been seen as an important economic activity which has the potential of contributing to the development of areas.

Major concerns for human health include the effects on the respiratory systems, damage to lung tissue, cancer and premature death. Health effects from the exposure of air pollutants may be experienced soon after exposure or possibly years later (EPA, 2006).

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

Scenerio in Kuantan

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

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Study location

Study Design:Cross-sectional

Study Sampling

Kuantan Port Flat

Felda Bukit Goh

Environmental Sampling

Respondents:N=162

Convenience sampling

Questionnaire

Air samplesn=42

Health risk assessment-Hazard Quotient= EC/RfC

-Lifetime Cancer Risk= EC x URF

Purposive sampling

Hot acid digestion method

METHODOLOGY

ICP-MS analysis

Gravimetric method(for PM10 level)

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Health risk will be assessed for (chronic health risk) for exposure to the dust/red mud.

Health Risk Assessment

Non- carcinogen risk

For inhalation: HQ = ADD/RfDWhere,HQ = Hazard Quotient (Unitless)ADD = Average daily dose (mg/kg-day)EC = Exposure air concentrationRfC = Reference concentration (mg/m3)

Carcinogenic risk

For inhalation: LCR = LADD x CSFWhere,LCR = Lifetime cancer risk (unitless)CSF = Cancer slope factorLADD = Lifetime average daily dose

Source: U.S.EPA (2005), U.S.EPA (2004)

Table 1: Level of particulate matter (PM10), (µg/m³) within mining areas(Dec 2015)

Location Felda Bukit Goh Beserah Kuantan Port

24hrs 24hrs 24hrs

8hrs 8hrs 8hrs 8hrs 8hrs 8hrs 8hrs 8hrs 8hrs

Time weighted

average (8

hours) (µg/m3)

0.775 0.574 0.197 0.578 0.181 0.381 0.195 1.133 0.596

Time weighted

average (24

hours) (µg/m3)247.302 181.886 307.727

MAAQG 2015

guideline for

PM10

150 µg/m3

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

MAAQG guideline

for PM10 (24 hours)

=150 µg/m³

RESULT

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238.14

292.08

266.89

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n o

f P

M1

0 (

µg/

m3

)

Location

Felda Bukit Goh Jln Besar Bukit Goh KPC Flat

Level of PM10(µg/m³) within mining areas (2016) and comparison withMalaysian Ambient Air Quality Guidelines.

To determine level of particulate matter (PM10) in the air within thehousehold in the area surrounding the mines.

Objective 1

Levels of selected heavy metals in ambient air, (µg/m³) in different sampling point

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1.7673

0.006 0.0074

7.7229

3.1562

0.1841

2.5288

0.012 0.0431

8.8032

3.4909

0.1827

4.0894

N/D N/D

3.1562 3.0665

0.1651

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Al As Cd Cr Ni Pb

Me

dia

n C

on

cen

trat

ion

, (µ

g/m

³)

Felda Bukit Goh Jln. Besar Bukit Goh KPC Flat

0.02 0.002 0.050.005 - 0.018 0.02 – 0.1 0.0001-0.005

To determine the heavy metals [(Al), (Cd), (As), (Cr), (Ni) and (Pb)] levels of red dust in airwithin the household in the area near the mines.Objective 2

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30.9 30.2

16.7

7.4

0.6

35.8

28.4

1.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Dry cough Phlegm cough Shortness ofbreath

Asthma Bronchitis Itchiness Redness/rash Swollen/edema

Perc

enta

ge (

%)

Number of health complaints among community exposed to bauxite mining activities within six months (N=162)

Respiratory health symptoms Dermal health symptoms

Objective 3To determine the health (respiratory and dermal) complaint from the respondentswho live within 1 km radius of the bauxite mining areas.

Number of Reported Respiratory and Dermal Symptoms among Study Group with Different Level of Particulate Matter

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60

40

20

0 0 0

20

0

43.2

35.1

21.6

5.42.7

48.6

21.6

8.1

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Dry cough Phlegmcough

Difficulty ofbreath

Astma Bronchitis Itchiness Rashess Edema

Pe

rce

nta

ge

og

re

spo

nd

en

ts (

%)

High level

Very High

Key: High : Particulate matter level between 150-200 µg/m³

Very High : Particulate matter level more than 200 µg/m³

Objective 4The prevalence of respiratory and dermal symptoms inrespondents from areas of different PM10 levels.

The health risk assessment (Hazard Quotient and Lifetime Cancer Risk) of communities

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Key: HQ<1 indicates no significant non-carcinogenic risk. HQ>1 indicates significant non-carcinogenic risk.

LCR<10-6 indicates no significant lifetime cancer risk LCR>10-6 indicates significant lifetime cancer risk

Objective 5To assess the health risk of exposure to the populationwithin 1 km radius of the bauxite mining areas.

Elements (heavy

metals)Location HQ LCR

Al FBG N/A N/A

Jln. Besar BG N/A N/A

KPC Flat N/A N/A

As FBG 0.1918 4.6128 x 10-7

Jln. Besar BG 0.3836 9.2257 x 10-7

KPC Flat N/D N/D

Cd FBG 0.7100 7.1115 x 10-8

Jln. Besar BG 4.1328 4.1420 x 10-7

KPC Flat N/D N/D

Cr FBG 74.0560 2.5234 x 10-2

Jln. Besar BG 84.4088 2.8763 x 10-2

KPC Flat 76.8655 2.6191 x 10-2

Ni FBG 60.5322 1.8401 x 10-5

Jln. Besar BG 66.9509 2.0352 x 10-5

KPC Flat 58.8111 1.7878 x 10-5

Pb FBG N/A 4.9539 x 10-8

Jln. Besar BG N/A 4.9161 x 10-8

KPC Flat N/A 4.44276 x 10-8

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, heavy metal in the air influenced the health especially when based on high dermal and respiratory symptoms reported by respondents exposed to very high PM10 levels in their surrounding area.

The high health risks were indicated by the atmospheric exposure for Cd in Jalan Besar Bukit Goh (4.133), Cr in Felda Bukit Goh (74.056), Jalan Besar Bukit Goh (84.409), Kuantan Port Consortium Flat (76.866) and Ni in Felda Bukit Goh (60.532), JalanBesar Bukit Goh (66.951), Kuantan Port Consortium Flat (58.811).

The lifetime cancer risk showed significant hazard only for Cr in Felda Bukit Goh (2.5234 x 10-2), Jalan Besar Bukit Goh (2.876 x 10-2), and Kuantan Port Consortium Flat (2.619 x 10-2).

16Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

3 Pahang kids drowned in a mining pool. but why is it more dangerous than lakes?

In October 2015, Nabil Ariff Shaari, 14, drowned while swimming in a bauxite mining pool in Ladang Makmur, Bukit Goh (also Pahang).

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

Customs officer, nine Land and Mines employees nabbed as MACC cracks down on illegal bauxite mining by New Strait Times, August 2, 2017

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak

THANK YOU

Presented at the BAQ 2018, Kuching, Sarawak