Kinetic analysis of 2-chlorophenol photodegradation over alpha-feooh nanoparticles prepared in cationic surfactant electrolyte

2-Chlorophenol (2-CP) which widely used in various chemical processes such as in agriculture, paper, cosmetic, biocide, and public health industries, presents serious threats to the surrounding ecosystem. In recent years, photocatalytic treatment system was found to be the most promising alternative for the abatement of this recalcitrant pollutant1. a–FeOOH as a semiconductor catalyst, has been widely used in the degradation of many chlorinated compounds due to its unique electrical, optical and photoluminescence properties2. Owing to the advantages of using electrochemical as a catalyst preparation method3, this study reports the electrosynthesis of a– FeOOH nanoparticles in a cationic surfactant, IS (IS-FeOOH). IS that acts as an only electrolyte is capable in producing IS-FeOOH nanoparticles without any agglomeration4. Its crystallinity and morphology were analyzed using an X–ray diffractometer and a transmission electron microscope, respectively. The characterization results verified that IS plays an important role in the miniaturization of the a–FeOOH nanoparticles, with a diameter range of 5–10 nm (Figure 1). The activity of IS–FeOOH was tested on a photodegradation of 2– chlorophenol (2–CP). Results showed that at nearly neutral condition of pH 5 was able to completely degrade 2–CP within 180 min of reaction at 50°C, using 0.03 g L-1 of catalyst dosage and 50 mg L-1 of 2–CP initial concentration. Kinetic analysis indicates that the apparent rate constant, kapp increased with increasing initial concentration of 2–CP up to 50 mg L-1 and then reduced as the initial concentration increased to 70 mg L-1. The calculated kr and KLH were 8.3 mg L–1 min–1 and 2.8 × 10-4 L mg–1, respectively, suggesting a surface reaction was the controlling step of the process. The results provide strong evidence to support the potential use of IS as an alternative electrolyte to synthesize nanosized photocatalyst that can be used to treat organic pollutants

Kerancuan bahasa dalam filem Kl Gangster: suatu analisis linguistik berdasarkan tahap 4 kemahiran bertutur kerangka standard bahasa Melayu (KSBM)

Kajian ini dilaksanakan bagi menyelidiki kerancuan bahasa Melayu yang terdapat dalam filem KL Gangster berdasarkan Tahap 4 kemahiran bertutur Kerangka Standard Bahasa Melayu (KSBM). Perlaksanaan kajian ini bertujuan bagi mengenal pasti penggunaan kosa kata dan ragam ayat dalam filem KL Gangster dan menganalisis penggunaan ayat aktif dan pasif dengan fasih dan spontan yang terdapat dalam filem KL Gangster. Oleh hal yang demikian, kajian ini menggunakan kaedah pemerhatian secara menonton filem KL Gangster, memasukkan data ke dalam senarai semak dan mencatat data-data yang diperoleh serta mengkategorikan data tersebut mengikut jenis menurut teori kerancuan bahasa Melayu yang dipelopori oleh Teo Kok Seong (2006). Bagi mencapai objektif kedua, pengkaji menganalisis penggunaan ayat aktif dan pasif dengan fasih dan spontan yang telah diungkapkan oleh penutur sehingga mengakibatkan kerancuan bahasa Melayu berlaku dalam filem KL Gangster. Hasil kajian mendapati bahawa terdapat kerancuan bahasa yang disebabkan oleh penggunaan bahasa yang tidak standard dalam filem KL Gangster. Kerancuan bahasa boleh merosakkan bahasa Melayu kerana setiap penggunaan bahasa Melayu telah dicampuradukkan dengan bahasa lain sehingga mencemarkan kemurnian bahasa Melayu itu sendiri. Namun, pengkaji turut berpendapat bahawa kerancuan bahasa perlu ada dalam pembuatan filem yang bergenre aksi ini supaya lebih menarik minat penonton

The Distribution Network Reconfiguration Improved Performance of Genetic Algorithm Considering Power Losses and Voltage Profile

Power losses issues persevered over few decades in the high demand utilization of energy electricity in developing countries. Thus, the radial structure of distribution network configuration is extensively used in high populated areas to ensure continuity of power supply in the event of fault. This paper proposes heuristic Genetic Algorithm known as SIGA (Selection Improvement in Genetic Algorithm) in consideration of genetic operator probabilities likewise the progression of switch adjustment in Distribution Network Reconfiguration (DNR) while satisfying the parameters constraints. The SIGA algorithm was embodied throughout the process in IEEE 33-bus distribution system in selection of five tie switches. As a consequence, the power losses were ranked in accordance to the minimum values and voltage profile improvement obtainable by the proposed algorithm. The results show that the SIGA performs better than GA by giving the minimized value of power losses

Titanium dioxide incorporated thin film composite membrane for bisphenol A removal

The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of Polyamide (PA) thin film composite (TFC) membrane immobilized with Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) particles on the removal of Endocrine Disruptive Compounds (EDC). Since 1990`s, an increasing environmental pollution by EDC had been noticed, for instance in surface waters, agricultural areas, and atmosphere, especially since the analytical methods for EDC detection have been continuously improved. The estrogenic properties of bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous synthetic monomer which categorized as an EDC that can leach into the food and water supply, have prompted considerable research into exposure-associated health risks in humans. In this study, PA/TiO2 TFC membrane was fabricated via interfacial polymerization (IP), using Polysulfone (PSf) flat sheet as substrate membrane. Trimesoyl chloride (TMC) and m-phenylenediamine (MPD) have been used as monomer and aqueous solution, respectively. The performance of PA/TiO2 TFC membrane and PSf substrate membrane on the removal of BPA has been compared and analysed. The membrane was analyzed for several characterizations using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and water contact angle analysis. Synthetic wastewater using 100ppm of BPA solution has been prepared for membranes performance. The existence of PA/TiO2 TFC on top of PSf membrane has been confirmed by FESEM and EDX image. Meanwhile, the hydrophilicity of PSF membranes has been improved with the existence of TFC which is good for water treatment system since it improves membrane’s pure water flux. The rejection of BPA has been done using ultrafiltration system and it was found that PA/TiO2 TFC membrane could reject almost 99% of BPA from feed solution. From the data obtained in this study, the TFC membrane is found to be convincing for wastewater treatment that contains EDC

Smoking among adolescents and associated factors in rural areas

Smoking among adolescents is a major health-related issue in Malaysia. However, information concerning recent smoking rates and how they correlate among adolescents in rural areas is still limited. This study aimed to determine the percentage of adolescent smokers among high school students, examine their level of nicotine dependence, and study the association between sociodemographic data and smoking status. A cross-sectional study was conducted at one of the high schools located in the rural area of Bandar Tun Abdul Razak, Pahang, Malaysia. A convenience sampling method was used to select the participants, as only Form 2 students were available during the data collection. In total, 113 respondents were recruited for the study. The data, collected using self-administered questionnaires, were analyzed using chi-square analysis and Fisher’s exact test analysis. The results showed that the prevalence of adolescent smokers among high school students was quite high (25.7%). Among the adolescent smokers, 65.5% had low nicotine dependence, and 34.5% had moderate nicotine dependence. Moreover, 21.4% of them admitted that they had tried other substances or drugs in addition to cigarettes. Peer pressure was the major factor in smoking (69.0%), followed by curiosity (27.6%), the smoking family members' influence, stress or tension, and others (3.4% each). The only significant association (p < 0.001) was between gender and smoking status. These findings showed that the proportion of smokers among adolescents has been increasing over the years; thus, effective strategies, such as peer advocacy of smoking cessation, may be needed among this population

Doping TiO₂ with Cr and Cu Elements from Electroplating Wastewater as a Single Source for Improvement of the Photocatalyst Activity under Visible Light in the Degradation of Anionic Surfactant

This paper discusses the use of electroplating wastewater containing Cr and Cu as a single dopant source to improve the activity of TiO2 photocatalysts under visible light. Sol-gel doping was used to dop TiO2 with Cr and Cu in the wastewater. The doped TiO2 photocatalysts were characterized using SRUV/visible and XRD instruments, and their effect on the degradation of linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS) in laundry wastewater was evaluated. The electroplating wastewater used in this research contains Cr and Cu about 2000 and 20 mg/L, respectively. These metals were successfully doped into a TiO2 structure, which significantly reduced the gap energy of TiO2, allowing it to be more active under visible light. The highest photodegradation of the 125 mg/L LAS in 25 mL of the laundry wastewater with pH 7 was achieved by using 30 mg of TiO2/Cr-Cu (200/2) photocatalyst, which degraded up to 60% of LAS in 60 min. With the same conditions, the LAS photodegradation increased to 100% upon the second run. This approach can help turn hazardous electroplating wastewater into a valuable material to solve environmental problems

Methylene blue adsorption onto cockle shells-treated banana pith: optimization, isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies

Two low-cost wastes, banana pith (BP) and cockle shells (CS) were explored towards methylene blue (MB) removal. The performance of cockle shells-treated banana pith (CS-BP) in MB removal was compared with untreated BP and commercially Ca(OH)2-treated BP (Ca(OH)2-BP). The adsorption efficacy was following the order of BP 0.99) and the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.999) models, demonstrating the chemisorption and naturally homogeneous process. Thermodynamics study discovered that the MB removal by CS-BP is endothermic, feasible, spontaneous and randomness growth at a solid-solute interface. It is affirmed that CS could be employed as a low-cost activation material and CS-BP as a low-cost adsorbent

Methylene blue adsorption onto cockle shells-treated banana pith: Optimization, isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies

Two low-cost wastes, banana pith (BP) and cockle shells (CS) were explored towards methylene blue (MB) removal. The performance of cockle shells-treated banana pith (CS-BP) in MB removal was compared with untreated BP and commercially Ca(OH)2-treated BP (Ca(OH)2-BP). The adsorption efficacy was following the order of BP 0.99) and the Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.999) models, demonstrating the chemisorption and naturally homogeneous process. Thermodynamics study discovered that the MB removal by CS-BP is endothermic, feasible, spontaneous and randomness growth at a solid-solute interface. It is affirmed that CS could be employed as a low-cost activation material and CS-BP as a low-cost adsorbent