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Journal of Biological Sciences

Year: 2002 | Volume: 2 | Issue: 12 | Page No.: 805-809
DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2002.805.809
Trace Metals in Selected Corals of Malaysia
Mazlin B. Mokhtar, Abdul Khalik B. Hj Wood, Choong Hou-Weng, Teh Mei Ling and Adelene Anthony Sinniah

Abstract: The present study was carried out to determine the concentration of mercury, manganese, zinc and chromium in coral samples from shorelines of Tioman and Labuan Island, Teluk Sepangar and Tanjung Aru using neutron activation analysis (NAA). The coral heads of Porites sp. and Favia sp. were examined. The result indicated that the average chromium concentrations in Porites sp. from Tioman was 0.61 ± 0.29 μg g-1, Teluk Sepangar 3.40 ± 1.54 μg g-1, whilst Tanjung Aru and Labuan were below detection level (< 0.01 μg g-1). Average chromium concentrations in Favia sp. from Tioman was 2.98 ± 0.69 μg g-1, whilst Tanjung Aru and Labuan were below detection limit (< 0.01 μg g-1). Average zinc concentrations in Porites sp. from Tioman was 0.84 ± 0.18 μg g-1, Tanjung Aru (26.02 ± 8.57 μg g-1), Teluk Sepangar (8.20 ± 2.37 μg g-1) and Labuan (0.16 ± 0.13 μg g-1). Average zinc concentrations in Favia sp. from Tioman was 2.69 ± 0.39 μg g-1, whilst Tanjung Aru and Labuan Island were below detection limit (< 0.01 μg g-1). Concentrations of manganese in Favia and Porites sp. collected from waters off Tioman and Labuan islands were significantly different (P<0.05) from each other and similar trends were observed for concentrations of mercury in Favia and Porites sp. from waters off Tioman Island. Concentrations of mercury in coral samples from Labuan were below the detection limit of 0.01 μg g-1.

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How to cite this article
Mazlin B. Mokhtar, Abdul Khalik B. Hj Wood, Choong Hou-Weng, Teh Mei Ling and Adelene Anthony Sinniah , 2002. Trace Metals in Selected Corals of Malaysia. Journal of Biological Sciences, 2: 805-809.

Keywords: Metal, coral, chromium, manganese, mercury, zinc, Malaysia and NAA

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