| Summary: | Kuantan, Pahang, a district in eastern Peninsular Malaysia, has become a hot spot for new bauxite mines in Malaysia. Bauxite mining activities have been associated with apparent environmental quality degradation and have raised environmental concern among the public. The composition from the bauxite can cause the heavy metals toxicity to the surrounding lands and rivers. One of the impact were heavy metals toxicity and degradation of water quality to nearby rivers. Sungai Kuantan, Sungai Riau dan Sungai Pinang have potential to contaminated by the heavy metals since they are nearer to the largest bauxite mining site which is located at Bukit Goh, Kuantan Pahang. This study was carried out to d termine heavy metals concentration (AI, Cu, Cd, Pb, As, Ni, Fe and In) in freshwater fish and river water in the selected rivers. All the sampling was done along the year 20 17 (February, May, September and December). The fish samples were analyzed using acid digestion method and all the heavy metals in fish and water samples were determined using Inductive Coupled Plasma Micro Spectrometer (ICP¬MS). Water quality parameters were measured using in situ and ex situ method (APHA, 2005). All heavy metals in tissue and gill of freshwater fish was found higher in Sungai Kuantan. The highest content of heavy metals was Aluminium that found in tissue and gill of B. schwanenfeldii which are 12.25 ± 2.07 mglkg and 19.43 ± 9.97 mg/kg, There is significant difference (p < 0.05) between fish species and all heavy metals. Concentration of Cu, Cd, Pb and As in tissues and gills at all rivers were below the perrnissible limits (FAO/WHO 1989, Malaysian Food Regulation 1985, European Community 2001 and Food and Drug Administration, 2006) while AI, Ni, Fe and In were above the perrnissible limit (FAOIWHO 1989 and Food and Drug Administration 2006). Most of heavy metals concentration in water were found higher in Sungai Kuantan such as AI, Cu, Pb and In. Concentration of Fe is the highest in water compared to other heavy metals but still in natural level while AI was exceeded the natural level based on NWQS.There are significant differences (p < 0.05) between all heavy metals and the selected rivers. Water Quality Index (WQI) of Sungai Kuantan, Sungai Riau and Sungai Pinang were classified in Class III which are slightly polluted. The finding from this research was showed that there are impact of bauxite mining activities to the nearby rivers which importance to the local communities.
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