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    Determination of heavy metal (Cu, Cd, and Pb) concentration in musclemeat of fish from different areas in Batan Bay, Aklan
    Bagarinao, Cathrina F. (Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2014-04)
    Food safety is of utmost importance but it is usually compromised by the presence of pollutants in the environment such as heavy metals. This study was conducted to investigate heavy metals concentrations in fish musclemeat collected from different areas of Batan Bay, Aklan. A total of 22 fish species were analyzed for Cu, Cd and Pb using Flame Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy. Pb concentration in the musclemeat of fish ranged from 0.0292 ± 0.2070- 2.09 ±1.15 mg/kg wet weight and was found to be highest in Mugil cephalus (flathead grey mullet), while Cd concentration ranged from 0.0075 ± 0.0016-0.157 ± 0.209 mg/kg wet weight with highest value in Megalops cyprinoides (Indo-pacific tarpon), and Cu concentration ranged from 0.0605 ± 0.0667-2.76 ± 0.05 mg/kg wet weight, with highest concentration in Leiognathus equulus (common ponyfish). Among the metals, only Pb concentration in flathead grey mullet exceeded the maximum permissible concentration in food as indicated by the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius (1984). Assessment of Noncarcinogenic Hazard Quotient (NHQ) gave NHQ values less than 1, indicating that the risk of developing adverse effects due to fish intake is low.
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    Heavy metal concentrations in sediments from Batan Bay and its tributaries
    Andrada, Mary Royce D. (Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2014-04)
    The concentration of three heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Cu) in sediments from Batan Bay and its tributaries were determined in order to assess the degree of contamination of sediments in the said area. The samples were digested following the Method 3050B of US Environmental Protection Program (EPA, 1996). The heavy metal concentrations were determined using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (FAAS). Results show that the heavy metal concentrations ranged from n.d. - 2.57 mg/kg dry weight (dw) for Cd; 16.44-143.02 mg/kg dw for Cu; and 3.18-28.53 mg/kg dw for Pb. Sediment sample collected from BTN #10 has the highest Cd concentration while sediment sample collected from BTN 052 which is a rice field in Batan, Aklan registered the highest Pb and Cu concentrations. Three sediment quality guidelines (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Canadian Sediment Quality Guideline and Hong Kong Sediment Quality Guideline) were employed to assess the metal contamination in sediments. The concentrations of Cd and Pb in all sites did not exceed the maximum permissible limits set by the three guidelines. As for Cu, BTN 052 exceeded the Upper Chemical Exceedance Level set by Hong Kong SQG. Correlation analysis showed that there is a significant correlation (p <0.01) between Pb and Cu indicating possible similar source input. Special attention must be given to BTN 052 since the levels of the studied heavy metals are high in this area. The results can be used as basis for the pollution level of sediments from Batan Bay and its tributaries. Special consideration should be given to BTN 052 since all of the test metals are significantly high in this area. It is also suggested to in identify the primary sources of metal contamination in this area.
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    Efficiency of constructed filters in removing heavy metals (Cd,Cu,Pb and Zn) from chemical wastewater
    Albaladejo, Anthony Salvador B. (Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2012-04)
    The presence of heavy metals at elevated concentrations is a major concern due to its toxic effects to aquatic organisms, plants and humans. Untreated wastewaters from chemistry laboratories could be the key source of heavy metal contamination if not properly processed before disposal to the environment. In this study, the efficiency of the constructed filter, made up of plant-based materials, in removing heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) from chemical wastewater was determined. Characterization of the untreated and treated chemical wastewaters was also performed using different water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, TDS, TSS, COD, heavy metals and toxicity. Results show that the untreated chemical wastewater contains high concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd which did not pass the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) standards and considered harmful when released to the environment. The physico-chemical characteristics, such as TSS and TDS, of the untreated wastewater also did not pass the standards set by DENR except for pH, temperature and COD. The quality of the treated wastewater failed to pass the DENR standards for TSS and TDS thus the constructed filter was not efficient in improving the said physico-chemical characteristics of the wastewater. Rice hull was efficient in removing Zn, Cu and Pb. Bagasse was efficient in removing Pb and saw dust was efficient in removing Cu. The constructed filter was able to significantly reduce the concentrations of heavy metals from 18-L chemical wastewater. The removal efficiency was not significantly different from the 9-L volume treatment. Pb concentration was within the DENR standards after treatment while Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations were above the requirement. The initial concentration of the metal in wastewater greatly affects the removal efficiency of the constructed filter. Furthermore, the constructed filter was able to minimize the toxicity of the chemical wastewater. These findings could be of significance in the design of the treatment facility that could address the problem of heavy metal pollution.
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    Physico-chemical assessment of the groundwater in Barangay Mohon, Arevalo District, Iloilo City
    Adenix, Kimberly V. (Division of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2017-06)
    Water analysis determines the stability and reliability of natural water sources. Determining the physical and chemical compositions of water would indicate its safety for use and consumption. In this scientific study, water analysis was conducted to evaluate the quality of potable water from eight water pumps, commonly used for drinking, in Brgy. Mohon, Arevalo District, Iloilo City. Aside from drinking, most residents also used these groundwater sources for cooking, bathing, washing, and laundry purposes. The parameters tested were pH, temperature, alkalinity, phosphate, nitrite, dissolved oxygen, and heavy metals (e.g., lead, copper, and cadmium) content. The analyses were conducted from February to April with same time of collection (9:00 am-12:00 nn) and the samples were stored under dark and cold conditions (4 °C). During the analyses, the following methods were used: titrimetric for alkalinity and dissolved oxygen content, colorimetric and UV/Vis spectrophotometry for phosphate and nitrite-nitrogen, and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) for heavy metals. Results showed that all sampling sites were determined to have alkaline waters (7.29- 7.77), because of the high pH and alkalinity values. Also, it was found that the water sources contained very high phosphate levels (0.54-1.29 mg/L PO4-P) that contributed to very low DO levels (0.12-0.14 mg/L DO). Other parameters, such as nitrite-nitrogen and heavy metal determinations showed no significant difference based on the standard limits set by different environmental institutions.
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    Optimization of lead (II) adsorption of EDTA-functionalized magnetic graphene oxide using response surface methodology
    Angeles, Christine Debbie Shanne V. (Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, 2017-06)
    Chronic intake of lead-contaminated water, even at low concentrations, can cause damage to the digestive, reproductive, and nervous systems. To effectively remove lead in water, solid phase extraction or adsorption is being used. In this study, EDTA-functionalized magnetic graphene oxide (EmGO) adsorbent was fabricated using a stepwise modification of graphene oxide (GO). It was characterized using SEM, FTIR, and XRD. EmGO was shown to have improved adsorption capacity towards Pb(II) in natural water. Also, the magnetic property of the adsorbent allowed an easier and more convenient mean of retrieval. The generated response surface model from Box- Behnken design (BBD) approximated the optimum condition for maximum removal efficiency of EmGO. Based on the results, the model had a 0.9113 (±0.0001) overall desirability, optimum values for pH, adsorbent dosage, and contact time were 5.99 (±0.01), 12.2135 (±0.0001), and 48.39 (±0.01), respectively. The highest percent removal efficiency of EmGO in the experiment was determined to be 73.41 (±0.01)%.