Optimization of Mulch Mat Production from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches and its Effects on Growth Performance of Acacia Hybrid Seedlings on Sandy Tailings

For forest plantation establishment on sandy soils such as tin tailings in Malaysia; mulching is important during transplanting of plants for moisture retention, protection of soil surface from erosion due to heavy rain and strong wind, regulating the soil surface temperature, reducing leaching of nutrients from fertilizers and weed control. EFB has been recycled as a mulch and source of nutrients in the oil palm fields and also has the potential for mulching forest species on sandy soils. However, the EFB in its natural form is heavy, thorny and bulky and cannot be stored. Therefore, the EFB need to be transformed into a form that is convenient and economical for mulching. Although the EFB is already commercially processed into a more convenient light form, it is too thin and has lost most of the EFB original beneficial characteristics. Thus, an improved thicker mats should be developed. Earlier studies had shown that it was possible to produce mulch mat from EFB fiber using binders that allow the mat to decompose. However, the optimum processing parameters to obtain the mats of targeted thickness were not determined and knowledge on its decomposition and effect on plant growth is greatly lacking. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to, (i) determine optimum parameters for making EFB mat which is thicker, capable of absorbing and retaining water and decomposes slowly, (ii) investigate its decomposition and (iii) determine its effect on the growth performance of Acacia hybrid planted on sandy tin tailings

Effects of mulching and fertilizer on nutrient dynamics of sand tailings growth with acacia hybrid.

Studies on the contribution of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) mulch mat and its impact on fertiliser loss through leaching on sand tailings are lacking. Sand tailings in Malaysia formed through tin mining activities are problematic soils for agriculture and forestry. An experiment with two types of EFB mulch mat applied in combination with NPK (nitrogen:phosphorus:potassium) fertiliser was established in pots containing sandy tin tailing soil to assess their effects on soil nutrient enrichment and leaching. Application of mulch mat reduced leaching of fertiliser compared with treatments without mulch mats. Incorporating fertiliser inside the mulch mat at the production stage could be the best way of applying inorganic fertiliser on sandy soils as the amounts of N, P and K loss was reduced significantly compared with treatments without mulch. There was poor synchronisation between fertiliser input and plant nutrient demand. The amount of fertiliser applied seemed to be in excess of the uptake capacity by roots especially for highly mobile nutrients N and K. Application of mulch mat on sand tailings however did not ameliorate the soil nutrient properties after 16 weeks. This could be due to the porous nature of the sand tailings

Performance of Microencapsulated Fungicide in Exterior Latex Paint on Wood Substrate

3-iodo-2-propynyl butyl carbamate (IPBC) was encapsulated by in situ polymerization of urea formaldehyde resin of crosslink (formaldehyde: urea) ratios 1 and 2. The leaching rate of the microcapsules was reduced compared to the free fungicide. Microcapsules prepared at the higher urea formaldehyde cross ink ratio gave a lower leaching rate. Two concentrations based on the weight of the active ingredient per volume of paint (a.i.lv) of 0.3 % and 1 % of microcapsules or free IPBC were incorporated into exterior latex paint and applied onto rubber wood panels. The panels were then exposed to the environment. A longer protection from discoloration was provided by the encapsulated IPBC of 1% concentration

Catalytic cracking of castor oil via microwave assisted method

Castor oil extracted from seeds of Ricinus Communis plant has an immense potential being used to yield valuable hydrocarbons with shorter chain length. Castor oil contains chemical structures of heavy hydrocarbons and long chains may undergo a cracking process which are similar to that as in petrochemical industries. However, cracking process requires extremely high temperature and energy input. This research came by with an attempt to reduce waste of energy using both microwave assisted method and modified metal catalyst, Zn/ZSM-5 to provide sufficient energy for cracking process to occur at comparatively low temperature. Wet impregnation method was used for Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst preparation and the experiments were carried out via microwave-assisted method. The microwave effect on the temperature and mass of condensate formed was investigated at three different output powers; 650, 700 and 750 W, under different Zn/ZSM-5 concentrations; 5, 8 and 10 wt% for 1 h. Results showed that cracking of castor oil is feasible at low temperature (<250 ◦C) using modified Zn/ZSM-5 via microwave assisted method. The highest yield of total mass of condensate (5.61%) was obtained from 750 W output power and 10 wt% Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst concentration. In addition, the highest cracking percentage (97.7%) was obtained from 750 W output power and 5 wt% Zn/ZSM-5 catalyst concentration. Valuable cracked compounds such as octane for fuel products and undecylenic acid for pharmaceutical uses were obtained

Developmental neurotoxicity assessment of arsenic: evaluation of apoptosis and behavioural response in the zebrafish larvae

Developmental Neurotoxicity research (DNT) aims to understand the adverse effects of xenobiotic exposure to the developing nervous system. The presence of a large number of yet untested chemicals in commerce, together with the increasing numbers of neurodevelopmental disorders worldwide, the pressure to the scientific community to develop testing strategies that can speed up the process of DNT testing become more critical. Behaviour of laboratory animal such as zebrafish has become a golden key for high-throughput screening in DNT testing owing to special characteristics of the zebrafish such as high fecundity, transparent eggs and fully characterized genome and behaviour phenotypes. In this study, we have assessed the zebrafish larvae behaviour in terms of sensorimotor response, motor response and social behaviour after exposure to arsenic (0μM, 2500μM, 3500μM) from 5 hours post fertilization until hatching in a semi-static condition. Arsenic was used as the model chemical because it is already classified as neurotoxic to human development. We also evaluated the apoptosis in the eye and brain area at 24hpf after exposure to arsenic (0μM, 2000μM, 4000μM). We found that exposure to arsenic significantly affect the right preference of the larvae at 6 days post fertilization as compared to the control by using our semi-high-throughput behavioural testing system. No significant difference in other parameters (edge and down preference, outward and clockwise orientation, distance between the larvae and swimming speed). In addition, exposure to 4000μM arsenic increase (35%) the percentage of apoptotic cells in the brain area as compared to the control. This study has shown that zebrafish is a powerful tool that can used to assess developmental neurotoxicity effects of toxicant at the behavioural and cellular level. Further study to understand the mechanisms that underlie the behavioural alterations and induction of apoptosis is necessary

Tannin Extraction from Bark of Rhizophora Mucronata Using Soxhlet and Boiling Techniques

Extraction of tannin Rhizophora Mucronata barks by using two methods, which were soxhlet extraction and boiling were demonstrated in this study in order to evaluate the effective technique for extraction. Several parameters such as the type of solvent used, time of extraction, and sample size were specified. The extractant was then evaporated using vacuum rotary evaporator. The percentage of extractives and the characterization of condensed (Stiasny Index) and hydrolyzable tannins were all quantified. The milled barks with different sizes were introduced to the extraction using water, methanol, acetone, and toluene as a solvent for three, six and nine hours for Soxhlet extraction while for boiling only water were used as a solvent and at four, six and eight hours. Results demonstrated that extraction from the bark of Rhizophora Mucronata with water for six and nine hours extracted approximately 29 wt% and 13wt % for both soxhlet extraction and boiling respectively when coupled with vacuum rotary evaporator. The Soxhlet extraction method was superior as compared to boiling. The optimum parameters for the Soxhlet extraction were water as the solvent at six hours extraction with 0.5 mm of milled bark particles size that extracted 29 wt% of extractives. The condensed tannin and hydrolyzable tannin of the extractives using soxhlet extraction were approximately 76 wt% and 0.00133 wt% respectively

Behavioral alteration in the male adult zebrafish (Danio rerio), after exposure to raw multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)

Carbon nanotubes, which had been discovered in 1991, comprise of two different types of variety; the single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Both of these differ in their structures, depending on the number of graphene layer forming the concentric tube. To date, published research related to the carbon nanotubes by using zebrafish as the model organism, were mainly focused on the toxicity effects of carbon nanotubes on the developing embryos. Most of these studies mainly concentrated on the use of SWCNTs as the toxicant. It is likely due to the fact that purified SWCNTs are more toxic than the purified MWCNTs. Nevertheless, it is hard to determine the exact toxicity effects of the carbon nanotubes, since different preparation methods will likely yield different results. In this study, we were investigating the toxicity effects of different concentrations of raw MWCNTs (control, 1ug/L, 10mg/L and 100mg/L) on the anxiety-like behavior of the male adult zebrafish, by using the light-dark plus maze paradigm. Prior to the experiment, the MWCNTs were dispersed in the distilled water for 60 minutes by using the bath sonicator. Then, each of the fish replicates was exposed to different concentrations of MWCNTs about 60 minutes before it was transferred into a black holding cup (placed at the center of the plus maze), for acclimatization period. After 5 minutes, the holding cup was removed and the movement of the fish was recorded by using a camera situated at the top of the maze. The recording was then used for the analysis purpose. The parameters measured include the latency to enter the arms and the mean duration per visit

Thermal Process of Castor and Plant Based Oil

Castor oil is an oil derived from castor seed from a plant Ricinus communis. The versatility of castor oil is highly attributed by 12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (ricinoleic acid) and its functional group. It is an oil that cannot be consumed by a human. However, castor oil actually can be used to produce many valuable products such as chemicals, paint, and cosmetics due to its unique characteristic which contains a high percentage of ricinoleic acid that helps in producing many valuable products. The utilization of vegetable oils is currently in the highlight of the chemical industry, as they are one of the most important renewable resources due to their universal availability, inherent biodegradability, low price, and eco-friendly. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to focus on the thermal cracking of castor oil with Zeolite ZSM-5 as the catalyst generates products consisting alcohol, methyl esters and fatty acids which are valuable raw materials for industries. The background, characteristics, composition, properties and industrial application of castor oil have also been discussed. The important properties and various applications of castor oil which can be obtained from toxic seeds have much greater potential than other available vegetable oils

Thermal process of castor and plant based oil

Castor oil is an oil derived from castor seed from a plant Ricinus communis. The versatility of castor oil is highly attributed by 12-hydroxy-9-octadecenoic acid (ricinoleic acid) and its functional group. It is an oil that cannot be consumed by a human. However, castor oil actually can be used to produce many valuable products such as chemicals, paint, and cosmetics due to its unique characteristic which contains a high percentage of ricinoleic acid that helps in producing many valuable products. The utilization of vegetable oils is currently in the highlight of the chemical industry, as they are one of the most important renewable resources due to their universal availability, inherent biodegradability, low price, and eco-friendly. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to focus on the thermal cracking of castor oil with Zeolite ZSM-5 as the catalyst generates products consisting alcohol, methyl esters and fatty acids which are valuable raw materials for industries. The background, characteristics, composition, properties and industrial application of castor oil have also been discussed. The important properties and various applications of castor oil which can be obtained from toxic seeds have much greater potential than other available vegetable oils

Simulation and analysis of sea-level change from tide gauge station by using artificial neural network models

Sea level change is one of the most certain results of global warming. Sea level change would increase erosion in coastal areas, result in intrusion into water supplies, inundate coastal marshes and other important habitats, and make the coastal property more vulnerable to erosion and flooding. This situation coincides with the massive socio-economic development of the coastal city areas. The coastal areas of the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia are vulnerable to sea-level change, flooding, and extreme erosion events. The monthly Mean Sea Level (MSL) change was simulated by using two Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models, Feed Forward- Neural Network (FF-NN) and Nonlinear Autoregressive Exogenous- Neural Network (NARX-NN) models. Both models did well in recreating sea levels and their fluctuating patterns, according to the data. The NARX-NN model with architecture (5-6-1) and four lag options, on the other hand, got the greatest results. The findings of the model’s mean sea level rise simulation show that Kuala Terengganu would have a growing and upward trend of roughly 25.34 mm/year. This paper shows that the eastern coast of Malaysia is highly vulnerable to sea-level rise and therefore, requires sustainable adaptation policies and plans to manage the potential impacts. It recommends that various policies, which enable areas to be occupied for longer before the eventual retreat, could be adapted to accommodate vulnerable settlements on the eastern coast of Malaysia