International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec.
, 2011
A Preliminary Study on Batik Effluent in
Kelantan State: A Water Quality Perspective
Noor Syuhadah Subki and Rohasliney, H.
Abstract— Batik industries generate a huge contribution to
Malaysia’s economy development. However, batik industries also
produce large amounts of effluents with a high concentration of
pollutants which required extensive treatment before discharging into
the environment. The Kelantan Department of Environment (DOE),
in this study, has found that the batik industry in the state has the
lowest level of compliance with the department’s law and
regulations. Its director, Khairuddin Mohamad Idris said the study
revealed that between January and September 2010, the batik
industry in Kelantan only recorded a five per cent level of
compliance compares to other manufacturing industries. Therefore a
study was carried out within five batik factories in Kota Bharu,
Kelantan as a preliminary study aiming to describe the batik effluent
from factories selected. In this study, the physical parameter such as
pH, dissolve oxygen (DO), total dissolve solid (TDS), chemical
oxygen demand (COD) and salinity were measured. This study
showed that the value of COD is between 700 to 4900 mg/L which is
higher than the acceptable condition for discharge of industrial
effluent containing COD for textile industry. Correlation analysis
showed that COD was positively correlated with temperature and pH,
and was negatively correlated with DO and TDS. With the increase
demand of batik products, the effluent with high COD value will also
increase and making it one of the main sources of severe pollution in
Malaysia. Therefore, awareness education of batik effluent pollution
to the batik industry entrepreneurs is very crucial, especially on the
importance of clean practices in the production of batik.
Keywords— batik, COD, effluent.
I. INTRODUCTION
T HE rapidly growing textile industries in Malaysia
especially the batik industries in the East Cost of
Peninsular Malaysia have contributed positively to the
Malaysia’s economic growth. In Kelantan, batik is mostly
produced by small medium enterprises (SME) and also by a
small scale industry which is known as cottage industry. SME
normally built its industrial units in many places and some of
them were built alongside of the river. However, the cottage
industry manufacturers prefer to build its industrial unit in
their home backyard.
Noor Syuhadah Subki
School oh Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
e-mail: syuhadah_subki@yahoo.com.
fax: 609-7677515
Rohasliney, H.
School oh Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
16150 Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
e-mail: rohasliney_hashim@yahoo.com.
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Obviously, textile industries consume large amount of
water and chemicals during their wet processing. The
chemicals reagent used in textile sector are diverse in
chemicals composition ranging from inorganic to organic.
Generally, textile effluent is colored with high pH,
temperature, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical
oxygen demand (COD), total dissolve solid (TDS) and total
suspended solid (TSS) [5, 9, 7]. Color is imparted to textile
effluents because of the various dyes and pigments used to
color the fabric. Wastewaters from the batik building mostly
discharged after minimal or no pretreatment into the adjoining
water channels, streams and estuaries. The presence of dyes in
the wastewaters will cause severe damage to the aquatic
biology. This is because dyes have a synthetic origin and a
complex molecular structure which makes them more stable
and difficult to be biodegraded [6].
Some parameters of the textile (including batik) must
comply with the Environmental Quality Act (1974)
regulations for Industrial Effluent 2009 (1974) [1]. The
Kelantan Department of Environment (DOE), indicated that
the batik industry in the Kelantan state has the lowest level of
compliance with the department’s law and regulations. Its
director, Khairuddin Mohamad Idris revealed that between
January and September 2010, the batik industry in Kelantan
only recorded a five per cent level of compliance compares to
other manufacturing industries [8]. Therefore this research
was aim to determine the physical characteristic of the batik
effluents. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) level also will
be disclosed in this study.
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Five of medium to small batik industrial units had been
selected as sampling stations (Figure 1) for this study. Water
samples were collected from the last pond of the effluents
(after dyeing and washing process), before it is being
discharged. The physical parameters such as temperature, pH,
dissolve oxygen (DO) and total dissolve solid (TDS) were
analyzed in situ using YSI Model 556 (Yellow Springs, OH,
USA) multiprobe meter while the chemical oxygen demand
(COD) were analyzed in the laboratory using HACH
Spectrophotometer (DR 2800).
 International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011

the chemical and biological system of the water. Meanwhile,

the impact of organic pollutant on the waste water is
expressed in COD which all depends on the DO value [3].

TDS is also used to define the organic content of the water

and the total ions in solution respectively [10]. The value of
TDS and DO are depending on the various chemicals and
reagent that have been used in the batik making process.
Therefore, the value obtained from the both parameters will
affect COD value in the batik wastewater.

TABLE I
DATA OF PHYSICAL PARAMETER
Para Units EQA Factory Factory Factory Factory Factory
meter (1974) A B C D E
Temp °C 40 32.43 30.29 28.15 26.94 29.21
pH - 5.5–9.0 7.92 8.29 8.88 7.65 9.52
TDS mg/L 3000 5.91 4.11 3.16 9.33 3.22
DO mg/L * 1.77 2.23 2.1 2.05 2.01
COD mg/L 250 1473.33 1422.67 772.67 945.00 4944.00
* Not stated in Environmental Quality Act (Industrial Effluent Regulations,
2009)

The discussion above shows that the value of COD is

= sampling station
Fig.1 represents sampling station used in the study
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Data obtained was analyzed and compared with the
industrial effluents standard in Environmental Quality Act
1974 (Table 1). The effluent showed that temperature average
value for the five batik factories was 29.40°C, average pH was
8.45, average TDS was 5.15 mg/L, average DO was 2.03
mg/L, average salinity was 4.49 mg/L and average for COD
was 1911.53 mg/L. From the six parameters that have been
analyzed, the average value of temperature, pH and TDS were
within the standard limit while the average value of COD was
higher than the standard limit.
Correlation analysis was carried out between COD and
other parameter. The correlation analysis showed that COD
was positively correlated with temperature and pH, and was
negatively correlated with DO and TDS. The temperature of
the batik wastewater is acceptable since it is under the
standard limit. High temperature will reduce the solubility of
gases in water that ultimately express as high COD. While
extremely low temperature will affects adversely the
efficiency of sedimentation in the effluent [2]. The pH value
of the effluents has a direct affect on organisms and indirect
effect on the toxicity of certain pollutants in the water. At
either very high or very low pH, the water cannot support
most of the organisms. Therefore pH is an important factor in
influenced by the value of temperature, pH, TDS and DO of
the batik effluent. The measurement of oxygen demand is an
easy way to detect the degree of pollution by organic matter.
The discharge of the effluents with high COD value to the
receiving stream or drainage can lead to the depletion of
dissolve oxygen and thus creates anaerobic condition [4].
Under anaerobic condition foul smelling compound such as
hydrogen sulfides may be produced. This will consequently
distress the biological activity especially in the receiving
stream.
IV. CONCLUSION
In batik making process, the effluents are often rich in color
and organic pollutants which require a proper treatment before
discharging into the environment. It is known that high
demand of batik products will contribute in the production of
more effluent with high COD value and creating it as one of
the main sources of severe pollution in Malaysia. This
preliminary finding should be a starting point to find an
intriguing application for the treatment of liquid effluents in
local industries such as batik industry. Therefore, awareness
education of batik effluent pollution to the batik industry
entrepreneurs and manufacturers is essential especially
emphasized on the importance of clean practices in the
production of batik. We hope someday, Kelantan will produce
what we called a ‘green batik’.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Special appreciation to the Environmental And
Occupational Health Laboratory of School of Health Sciences,
USM Health Campus and Postgraduate Laboratory of Faculty

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 International Conference on Chemical, Biological and Environment Sciences (ICCEBS'2011) Bangkok Dec., 2011

of Agro Industry and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia

Kelantan for providing equipment used in this research.
Special gratitude to the five batik entrepreneur for information
and for their co-operation and permission during data
collection. Cordial appreciation also goes to all staff from
research offices of School of Health Sciences.

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