Cleaning up of contaminated soils by using microbial remediation: a review and challenges to the weaknesses

The use of microbial bioremediation in recovering polluted soils is not a new technology based on many review reports and studies on its efficiencies and on how to increase the effectiveness. In this short paper, we reviewed the advantages and weaknesses of microbial remediation in cleaning up the polluted ecosystems. Based on the identified weaknesses/disadvantages or incompleteness of the microbial remediation by Sharma and Reddy (2004), future studies should focus on how to increase the effectiveness of the bioremediation technology that should further reduce environmental stress on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Overall, strategies in the future studies for improving the microbial remediation are discussed

Contamination in Pasir Gudang area, Peninsular Malaysia: what can we learn from Kim Kim River chemical waste contamination?

This paper reviews monitoring studies of chemical pollutant in the Straits of Johore, especially in Pasir Gudang area. The Kim Kim River chemical waste pollution occurred in March 2019 is reviewed for comparison with the previously reported scientific data. It is concluded that reporting monitoring data in the scientific literature is just a knowledge sharing without any practical implications. Only heavy pollution cases involving human health implications would trigger governing bodies immediate actions. Therefore, reports of scientific monitoring data should be treated with high importance and governing bodies should be working closely with those researchers for the benefits of public at large. It is recommended that ‘Polluters Pay Principle’ should be fully adopted in line with stricter laws and regulations with effective management of clean river sustainability in Malaysia

Contamination in Pasir Gudang Area, Peninsular Malaysia: What can we learn from Kim Kim River chemical waste contamination?

This paper reviews monitoring studies of chemical pollutant in the Straits of Johore, especially in Pasir Gudang area. The Kim Kim River chemical waste pollution occurred in March 2019 is reviewed for comparison with the previously reported scientific data. It is concluded that reporting monitoring data in the scientific literature is just a knowledge sharing without any practical implications. Only heavy pollution cases involving human health implications would trigger governing bodies immediate actions. Therefore, reports of scientific monitoring data should be treated with high importance and governing bodies should be working closely with those researchers for the benefits of public at large. It is recommended that ‘Polluters Pay Principle’ should be fully adopted in line with stricter laws and regulations with effective management of clean river sustainability in Malaysia

Effects of environment and nutritional conditions on mycelial growth of Ganoderma boninense

The Basal Stem Rot disease is caused by the soil-borne pathogen, Ganoderma boninense. It is an annihilating and widespread disease in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.). The nutritional studies were conducted to know the best sources of carbon and nitrogen, ideal pH regimes, the best humidity and optimum temperature required for the mycelial growth of G. boninense. Out of six carbon sources tested, fructose and glucose proved to be the best carbon sources for the mycelial growth of G. boninense. Out of five nitrogen sources tested, ammonium citrate and ammonium nitrate were noticeably found as the best nitrogen sources for the mycelial growth. Studies on different pH regimes in medium with 83% potatoes and 75% lignocellulosic materials revealed that the ideal pH regimes for the mycelial growth were 4-5. The best humidity for mycelial growth of G. boninense was found between 50-60%. It is suitable to grow between 25 and 32°C, while the optimum temperature is 32°C. This information can be used as a guideline for Ganoderma’s disease prevention study and control strategies in the oil palm plantation in the future

Human interaction with the environmental ecosystem: a review, some notes and insights

The present review focused on the human interaction with the environmental ecosystem. Based on the present review, it is concluded that human interaction on our ecosystem is broadly reported in the literature. By using the model of human interaction with the environment that was firstly recommended by Hammond (1995), the Life Support interaction is focussed and discussed. From the negative picture from the human interaction on the ecosystem concept, a lot of human activities from the past and future are involved. These anthropogenic activities include deforestation depleting food and medicinal resources, the growing world energy demand on non-renewable sources, active transportation, point and non-point sources that create environmental pollution and contaminating the ecosystem in terms of food and clean water supply. In addition, enrichment of the hazardous chemicals in our environmental ecosystem is inarguably contributed by human interactions as the root cause. This is related to human behaviours that have impacted on human welfare which is a prevalent predicament to be solved nowadays

Oil palm biomass wastes as renewable energy sources in Malaysia: potentials and challenges

This paper reviews the potentials and challenges of using Oil Palm Biomass Wastes (OPBW) as Renewable Energy (RE) source in Malaysia. The OPBW mainly includes Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) and Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB). From the present review, the major potentials of OPBW consist of their large availability, being a major sources of lignocellulosic materials for industrial, being economically viable, being a solution to the disposal problem and cost-benefit. The challenges of using OPBW as RE source are being a high dependency on the availability of the OPWB, unfair subsidies given to RE based fuel, the use of POME that produces methane, substantial amount of under-utilization of lignocellulosic wastes from OPBW, the need for further studies on the correct selection of generation plant size, and not economically competitive. Overall, the challenge is to make the OPBWs as a reliable, profitable and sustainable RE industry. Based on the present review mainly from Malaysia, there are definite potentials/advantages of using OPBW as RE source in Malaysia. Ways and suggestions on these practical issues on how to reduce problems facing the use of OPBW as RE source in Malaysia should be investigated and addressed before the large scale utilization of OPBW as RE source can be anticipated in Malaysia

Comparison of deficiency and toxicity of copper between human and crop plants: a review and some notes

The review on Copper (Cu) of its Deficiency and Toxicity (DAT) has been reported on human and plants but there are definite differences and similarities of Cu deficiency and toxicity between human and plants which remains to be poorly understood. In this review, similarities and differences of Cu deficiency and excess between human and plants are found. The similarities include any deficient or excessive levels of Cu can potentially produce harmful effects on human health and reducing vegetative growth ending with toxic effects in plants. The main difference for the dose-response curve of deficient or excessive levels of Cu is ⋃-shaped which is based on cumulative health risk and total intake of Cu in human consumption while the dose-response curve is ⋂-shaped which is based on increasing vegetative growth (and yield) and increasing Cu content in plants. This review can shed some lights on the understanding of Cu uptake on the health of the crop plant (oil palms) which is comparative to that in human

Human health risks of heavy metals in okra (Abelmochus esculentus) and lettuce (Lactuta sativa) collected from selected farms in Peninsular Malaysia

The present study investigated the concentrations of Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb and Zn in fruit okra (Abelmochus esculentus) and leafy lettuce (Lactuta sativa) collected from selected farms in Peninsular Malaysia, based on cited and unpublished data. For the leafy lettuce, the metal concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) were 1.18-13.9 for Ni, 1.67-24.7 for Cu, 19.0-120 for Zn, 0.20-2.12 for Pb and 71.5-306 for Fe. For the fruit okra, the metal concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) were 1.19-14.4 for Ni, 5.93-20.2 for Cu, 23.7-123 for Zn, 0.01-2.21 for Pb and 43.9-172 for Fe. To estimate the human health risk assessment, all values of target hazard quotient for the 5 metals in the adults of Malaysian population were found below 1.00. This showed that there was no non-carcinogenic risk of the 5 metals via the consumption of okra and lettuce from the present study. Still, it is highly recommended that frequent monitoring of toxic chemicals besides heavy metals should be carried out for possible chemical contamination in the edible vegetables in Malaysia

Higher bioavailability and contamination by copper in the edible mussels, snails and horseshoe crabs at Kampung Pasir Puteh: evidence of an industrial effluent receiving site at Pasir Gudang area

This paper determined the heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ni and Zn) in the different soft tissues of mussel Perna viridis, mudflat snail Telescopium telescopium, and horseshoe crabs (Carcinoscor-pius rotundicauda and Tachypleus gigas), and their habitat surface sediments from an industrial effluent receiving site Kg. Pasir Puteh (KPPuteh) [1-6] (a site close to Pasir Gudang industrial area) and relatively unpolluted sites. The sediment data clearly showed that KPPuteh had higher nonresistant geochemical fraction of heavy metals, indicating anthropogenic sources and metal contamination at KPPuteh. However , based on the metal concentrations in all the different soft tissues of the above four biomonitors, Cu was significantly higher than the other comparative site, indicating distinct higher Cu bioavailabilities to the four biomonitors. Thus, it is evidenced and confirmed that KPPuteh was contaminated by heavy metals, having high Cu bioavailability to the four biomonitor

The potentials of digestive caecum in mudflat snail Telescopium telescopium as a possible cadmium source for industrial application

This paper cited the cadmium (Cd) data in the seven different soft tissues (foot, cephalic tentacles, mantle, muscle, gill, digestive caecum (DC) and remaining soft tissues) of mudflat snail Telescopium telescopium that were previously published by Yap and Noor-haidah [1]. These Cd data were re-evaluated from the point of the industrial use. The data were re-analyzed by using probability analysis and were calculated for bioaccumulation factor (BAF). In general, it was found that Cd levels were the highest in DC when compared to other different organs/soft tissues. Also, the Cd levels in the DC are comparable to habitat surface sediment based on BAF. This strongly indicated that DC is the main target organ for Cd storage and accumulation based on the accumulation pattern of Cd in the seven soft tissues. Therefore, it is suggested that DC of the mudflat snails is a possible Cd source for industrial application