RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM (MYRAWAS): TOWARDS UPSCALING WATER-CONSERVING PRACTICE AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL

With rapid population growth and growing demand on the water supply, rainwater harvesting has been seen as a viable alternative for providing clean water supplies for domestic uses. In accordance with the urgency, the rainwater harvesting system (MyRAWAS) has been designed and installed to supply water for domestic uses at Kolej Ungku Omar residential college, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Although the quality of rainwater from a rainwater harvesting system can vary depending on environmental conditions, selection and installation of appropriate storage and catchment materials together with the application of post-cistern treatment can significantly improve harvested rainwater and reduce cistern cleaning. The development of rainwater harvesting system, also known as MyRAWAS is one of the important initiatives towards sustainable water management in UKM that is located within the Langat watershed, Selangor

PHYTOREMEDIATION OF LIVESTOCK WASTEWATER USING Azolla filiculoides AND Lemna minor

The increment in livestock production leads to high risk of environmental problems such as water pollution due to the improper management of livestock operations. Phytoremediation is an alternative approach in treating wastewater from livestock from further contaminate the water bodies. For this study, Azolla filiculoides and Lemna minor were used as the phytoremediation plants to remove ammoniacal nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand in the wastewater from livestock. Livestock wastewater was treated using Azolla filiculoides and Lemna minor for six days. Using the reactor digestion and Nessler methods, the initial values before treatment for ammoniacal nitrogen and chemical oxygen demand were 109.83 mg/L and 11,742 mg/L, respectively. After six days of treatment, ammoniacal nitrogen was reduced to 51.93 mg/L and 43.93 mg/L by using Azolla filiculoides and Lemna minor, respectively. The chemical oxygen demand was decreased to 680 mg/L and 820 mg/L by using Azolla filiculoides and Lemna minor, respectively. The results showed that both Azolla filiculoides and Lemna minor were efficient in removing the nutrients in the livestock wastewater

Photoelectrochemical applications of electrochemical deposition of Ni2+-doped FeS2 thin films.

Different concentration (1–5 mol%) of Ni2+-doped FeS2 thin films were deposited by facile ECD technique. XRD pattern Ni2+ ion-doped FeS2 thin films were cubic structure with the high intensity plane (2 0 0). HRSEM images show that the undoped with 1–2 mol% Ni2+-doped FeS2 thin films were spherical-like morphology with aggregated grains. 3 mol% Ni2+-doped FeS2 thin film was aggregated with smaller size grains. Electrochemical impedance analysis reveals that the minimum charge transfer resistance (69 Ω) is obtained for 3 mol% Ni2+ ion-doped FeS2 thin films with exceptional conductivity character compared to other samples. Photoelectrochemical test indicates that 3 mol% Ni2+ ion-doped FeS2 thin film generates enhanced photocurrent response and faster immigration of photoinduced charge carriers compared to the other samples. It has been observed from CV analysis; the optimized 3 mol% Ni2+-doped FeS2 thin film delivers superior electrocatalytic performance of triiodide reduction

The Practice, Challenges and Awareness of Residential Solid Waste Management in the City of Al –Marj, Libya

Solid waste management (SWM) in urban cities has always been a challenge to municipalities. Piles of garbage are seen on the roads and suburbs of highly populated neighbourhoods in the city of Al Marj, Libya. This study aimed at identifying the factors and barriers which influence solid waste management (SWM) in the city of Al Marj, Libya. The data was collected via a questionnaire survey and interview sessions with the residents of the city. A total of 700 questionnaires were distributed randomly; only 482 of these were filled up and returned. The results showed that the city of Al-Marj has a profound solid waste management and awareness problems that must be tackled immediately. The local authorities in charge of the SWM seemed to lack experience as well as facilities required for proper solid waste management. The residents also showed lack of awareness on recycling solid waste, however, they agreed to its importance. The over finding of the study indicated that numerous factors led to the solid waste management problem in the city of Al Marj, Liby

Bioenergy for a cleaner future: A case study of sustainable biogas supply chain in the Malaysian energy sector

A life cycle assessment (LCA)-based environmental sustainability evaluation conceptual framework of biogas production has been proposed to improve the sustainability of biogas supply chains. The conceptual framework developed in this study can be used as a guideline for the related stakeholders and decision makers to improve the quality and enhance the sustainability of biogas production in Malaysia as well as promoting biogas as a clean, reliable and secure energy. A case study on an LCA analysis of a zero waste discharge treatment process has been conducted. In the zero discharge treatment system, biogas can be produced with a maximum water recycle and reuse. It was indicated that the biogas production and zero discharge treatment of a palm oil mill effluent were environmentally sustainable as the system utilized organic waste to produce bioenergy and achieved zero discharge. However, there were other aspects that should be taken into consideration, particularly regarding the sources of electricity and upstream activity, to ensure the sustainability of the system holistically

Salvinia molesta dan Pistia stratiotes sebagai agen fitoremediasi dalam rawatan air sisa kumbahan

Akumulasi logam berat dan bahan pencemar ke dalam ekosistem akuatik memberi impak negatif kepada alam sekitar dan organisma akuatik. Salvinia molesta dan Pistia stratiotes merupakan spesies yang mempunyai kadar pertumbuhan yang cepat dan berkemampuan dalam mengakumulasi logam berat dan menyerap nutrien menjadikan ia sesuai digunakan untuk merawat air sisa melalui kaedah bioteknologi iaitu fitoremediasi. Kajian ini dijalankan untuk menentukan kualiti air sisa kumbahan sebelum dan selepas rawatan menggunakan kaedah fitoremediasi. Selain itu, objektif kajian ini juga adalah untuk menilai keberkesanan Salvinia molesta dan Pistia stratiotes sebagai agen fitoremediasi bagi rawatan air sisa. Sampel tumbuhan akuatik berbeza berat iaitu 10, 20 dan 30 g diuji untuk rawatan tersebut. Ujian ANOVA satu hala menunjukkan perbezaan kadar pengurangan jumlah pepejal terampai dan ammoniakal nitrogen yang bererti (p<0.05) bagi 10, 20 dan 30 g Pistia stratiotes dan Salvinia molesta sepanjang kajian dijalankan iaitu daripada hari 0 sehingga hari ke-7. Keputusan kajian juga menunjukkan 30 dan 20 g Pistia stratiotes dan Salvinia molesta dapat menyingkirkan jumlah pepejal terampai dan ammoniakal nitrogen dengan lebih cepat berbanding berat tumbuhan 10 g. Ujian ANOVA satu hala juga tidak menunjukkan perbezaan yang bererti bagi kadar pengurangan jumlah pepejal terampai dan ammoniakal nitrogen antara Pistia stratiotes dan Salvinia molesta

Life Cycle Assessment of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Farming in Kenyir Lake, Terengganu

This study presents results from a life cycle assessment (LCA) conducted following the CML-IA method on caged aquaculture of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) species at Como River, Kenyir Lake, Terengganu, Malaysia. In this study, the greenhouse gas (GHG) estimation, calculated based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2006 Guidelines, showed that 245.27 C eq (1.69 Kg) of nitrate oxide (N2O) was emitted from the lake. The determination of LCA was conducted using several inputs, namely N2O, compositions of fish feed, materials used to build fish cages (infrastructure), main materials used during operation and several databases, namely Agri-footprint, Ecoinvent 3, European Reference Life-Cycle Database (ELCD), and Industry Data 2.0. The results show that feed formulation is the major contributor to potential environmental impact in aquaculture farming, at 55%, followed by infrastructure at 33% and operation at 12%. The feed formulation consisting of 53% broken rice contributed to marine ecotoxicity (MET), while those consisting of 44% fish meal and 33% soybean meal contributed to abiotic depletion (ABD) and global warming (GW), respectively. It is recommended that the percentage of ingredients used in feed formulation in fish farming are further studied to reduce its impacts to the environment

Cradle-to-Gate Water-Related Impacts on Production of Traditional Food Products in Malaysia

Modern technology and life-style advancements have increased the demand for clean water. Based on this trend it is expected that our water resources will be under stress leading to a high probability of scarcity. This study aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of selected traditional food manufacturing products namely: tempe, lemang, noodle laksam, fish crackers and salted fish in Malaysia. The cradle-to-gate approach on water footprint assessment (WFA) of these selected traditional food products was carried out using Water Footprint Network (WFN) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Freshwater eutrophication (FEP), marine eutrophication (MEP), freshwater ecotoxicity (FETP), marine ecotoxicity (METP) and water consumption (WCP), LCA were investigated using ReCiPe 2016 methodology. Water footprint accounting of blue water footprint (WFblue), green water footprint (WFgreen) and grey water footprint (WFgrey) were established in this study. It was found that total water footprint for lemang production was highest at 3862.13 m3/ton. The lowest total water footprint was found to be fish cracker production at 135.88 m3/ton. Blue water scarcity (WSblue) and water pollution level (WPL) of these selected food products were also determined to identify the environmental hotspots. Results in this study showed that the WSblue and WPL of these selected food products did not exceed 1%, which is considered sustainable. Based on midpoint approach adopted in this study, the characterization factors for FEP, MEP, FETP, METP and WCP on these selected food products were evaluated. It is recommended that alternative ingredients or product processes be designed in order to produce more sustainable lemang

A Content Review of Life Cycle Assessment of Nanomaterials: Current Practices, Challenges, and Future Prospects

This paper provides a comprehensive review of 71 previous studies on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of nanomaterials (NMs) from 2001 to 2020 (19 years). Although various studies have been carried out to assess the efficiency and potential of wastes for nanotechnology, little attention has been paid to conducting a comprehensive analysis related to the environmental performance and hotspot of NMs, based on LCA methodology. Therefore, this paper highlights and discusses LCA methodology&rsquo;s basis (goal and scope definition, system boundary, life cycle inventory, life cycle impact assessment, and interpretation) to insights into current practices, limitations, progress, and challenges of LCA application NMs. We found that there is still a lack of comprehensive LCA study on the environmental impacts of NMs until end-of-life stages, thereby potentially supporting misleading conclusions, in most of the previous studies reviewed. For a comprehensive evaluation of LCA of NMs, we recommend that future studies should: (1) report more detailed and transparent LCI data within NMs LCA studies; (2) consider the environmental impacts and potential risks of NMs within their whole life cycle; (3) adopt a transparent and prudent characterization model; and (4) include toxicity, uncertainty, and sensitivity assessments to analyze the exposure pathways of NMs further. Future recommendations towards improvement and harmonization of methodological for future research directions were discussed and provided. This study&rsquo;s findings redound to future research in the field of LCA NMs specifically, considering that the release of NMs into the environment is yet to be explored due to limited understanding of the mechanisms and pathways involved

Proximate Chemical Composition of Dried Shrimp and Tilapia Waste Bioflocs Produced by Two Drying Methods

The effects of two waste sources, red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) and whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), and two drying methods (freeze-drying and oven-drying) on the proximate chemical composition of bioflocs were investigated. In total, four kinds of experimentally treated bioflocs were compared to identify the best waste source and drying method to produce biofloc of an acceptable nutrient value: freeze-dried shrimp biofloc (FDSBF), oven-dried shrimp biofloc (ODSBF), freeze-dried tilapia biofloc (FDTBF), and oven-dried tilapia biofloc (ODTBF). The protein, lipid, ash, fiber, total nitrogen free extract (NFE), and energy contents of the dried bioflocs ranged from 12.12 to 24.09 g/100 g, 0.35 to 0.92 g/100 g, 42.45 to 61.01 g/100 g, 7.43 to 17.11 g/100 g, 16.45 to 18.59 g/100 g, and 0.99 to 1.94 Kcal g−1, respectively. Statistically, there were significant differences within the means of the two biofloc sources in terms of their proximate compositions (p &lt; 0.05). The average values between the drying methods for protein, lipid, total NFE, and energy were also significantly different, while no significant differences (p &gt; 0.05) were recorded for ash and fiber. Amino acids (AAs) were higher in FDTBF, followed by ODTBF. The mineral profiles showed that phosphorous, potassium, manganese, selenium, and copper were higher in the tilapia waste bioflocs, while calcium, zinc, iron, copper, chromium, and cobalt were higher in the shrimp waste bioflocs. Although the statistical analysis showed that the shrimp waste bioflocs had higher levels of lipid, fiber, total NFE, and minerals, the tilapia waste bioflocs contained higher levels of potential AAs, energy, and protein, which are regarded as expensive ingredients in aquaculture feeding. This study indicates that biofloc derived from tilapia waste can be regarded as a more suitable source of biofloc meal (in terms of protein, ash, energy, and AAs) than biofloc derived from shrimp waste. Our findings also suggest that freeze-drying is a more effective drying method for drying biofloc, as it efficiently maintains nutritional quality