Ammonia is an important indicator of water quality

It can indicate the possible bacterial, sewage and

animal feces pollutions (WHO, 2003).

Fu et al. (2012) studied the contamination sources of high ammonia levels in drinking water
sources are related to the factors of the number of enterprises, wastewater drainage discharges
as well as ammonia discharges from industries, urban areas, and non-point sources. Fu et al.
(2012) added the higher ammonia levels in Huangpu, Shanghai river is mainly from industrial
discharge as there were 199 enterprises and a wastewater drainage. While, Jiaxing City river
were having 23 enterprises and 5 wastewater drainages, therefore ammonia discharges were
generally from industrial wastewater and urban sewage. Although, the river in Guangzhou found
high ammonia levels due to urban sewage. As the concentration ammoniacal nitrogen value in
river E gives 8.3 mg/L which classified under Class V, some factors could be suggested like the
increases number of enterprises, wastewater drainages as well as ammonia discharges from
industries, urban areas, and non-point sources in river E as mentioned by Fu et al. (2012).
Amneera et al. (2013) studied the water quality index in Perlis river based on six parameters
which were dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen
demand (COD), pH, total suspended solid (TSS) and ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) from three
sampling stations. The finding from the study in terms of BOD shows that BOD concentration at
station 3 was higher as the biodegradation process occurs from microorganisms. They found
river water at Station 3 generate higher sullage which caused increasing the concentration of
BOD whereas at Station 1, the higher BOD may contribute by nearest activities such as
restaurants, residential, commercial building and others related activities. We could be
suggested the concentration of BOD in river E as gives 28.8mg/L which fall in Class V of body
classification may could be contributed by nearest activities in river such as restaurants,
residential as well as commercial.
According to Amneera et al. (2013), a higher turbidity could be the causes of soil erosion, river
flow, presents of sources of organic pollution and runoff factors. The turbidity in river E gives
250NTU was classified as Class I and II, thus we suggested that a moderate level concentration
of turbidity in river E may affected by algae as the higher BOD in river E may introduce a quickly
growing of algae.
Amneera, W., Najib, N. W., Mohd Yusof, S. R., & Ragunathan, S. (2013). Water Quality of Index
of Perlis River, Malaysia. International Journal of Civil & Environmental Engineering
IJCEE-IJENS, 1-6.

Fu, Q., Zheng, B., Zhao, X., Wang, L., & Liu, C. (2012). Ammonia pollution characteristics of
centralized drinking water sources in China. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 24(10),
1739–1743. doi: 10.1016/s1001-0742(11)61011-5
References