Assessment on the distributions and exchange of anionic surfactants in the coastal environment of Peninsular Malaysia: A review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Terrestrial anionic surfactants (AS) enter the marine environment through coastal region. Despite that, in general limited knowledge is available on...     

Drivers of food waste generation and best practice towards sustainable food waste management in the hotel sector: a systematic review

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The growing volumes of food globally are lost or wasted along the entire food chain. However, a high effort in investigating why food waste (FW)...     

A bibliometric review on the inter-connection between climate change and rice farming

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Rice is an important cereal and a staple food in many countries in the world. Climate change is a significant challenge that affects paddy production...     

Intertidal macroinvertebrate community structure in a subtropical channel is driven by sediment properties across different land-use types

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Macroinvertebrate community in the intertidal setup plays an important role in coastal ecosystem functions and biogeochemical cycle. However,...     

Enzymatic production of biosilica glass using enzymes from sponges: basic aspects and application in nanobiotechnology (material sciences and medicine)

Biomineralization, biosilicification in particular (i.e. the formation of biogenic silica, SiO₂), has become an exciting source of inspiration for the development of novel bionic approaches following “nature as model”. Siliceous sponges are unique among silica forming organisms in their ability to catalyze silica formation using a specific enzyme termed silicatein. In this study, we review the present state of knowledge on silicatein-mediated “biosilica” formation in marine sponges, the involvement of further molecules in silica metabolism and their potential application in nanobiotechnology and medicine. Werner E. G. Müller dedicated this study to Prof. Vera Gamulin (Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia) in honour of her unique contributions in molecular evolution.     

Identification of naphthalene metabolism by white rot fungus Armillaria sp. F022

Armillaria sp. F022, a white rot fungus isolated from tropical rain forest (Samarinda, Indonesia) was used to biodegrade naphthalene in cultured medium. Transformation of naphthalene by Armillaria sp. F022 which is able to use naphthalene, a two ring-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) as a source of carbon and energy was investigated. The metabolic pathway was elucidated by identifying metabolites, biotransformation studies and monitoring enzyme activities in cell-free extracts. The identification of metabolites suggests that Armillaria sp. F022 initiates its attack on naphthalene by dioxygenation at its C-1 and C-4 positions to give 1,4-naphthoquinone. The intermediate 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde and salicylic acid, and the characteristic of the meta-cleavage of the resulting diol were identified in the long-term incubation. A part from typical metabolites of naphthalene degradation known from mesophiles, benzoic acid was identified as the next intermediate for the naphthalene pathway of this Armillaria sp. F022. Neither phthalic acid, catechol and cis,cis-muconic acid metabolites were detected in culture extracts. Several enzymes (manganese peroxidase, lignin peroxidase, laccase, 1,2-dioxygenase and 2,3-dioxygenase) produced by Armillaria sp. F022 were detected during the incubation.     

Faecal sterols as sewage markers in the Langat River, Malaysia: Integration of biomarker and multivariate statistical approaches

The Langat River in Malaysia has been experiencing anthropogenic input from urban, rural and industrial activities for many years. Sewage contamination, possibly originating from the greater than three million inhabitants of the Langat River Basin, were examined. Sediment samples from 22 stations (SL01-SL22) along the Langat River were collected, extracted and analysed by GC-MS. Six different sterols were identified and quantified. The highest sterol concentration was found at station SL02 (618.29 ng/g dry weight), which situated in the Balak River whereas the other sediment samples ranged between 11.60 and 446.52 ng/g dry weight. Sterol ratios were used to identify sources, occurrence and partitioning of faecal matter in sediments and majority of the ratios clearly demonstrated that sewage contamination was occurring at most stations in the Langat River. A multivariate statistical analysis was used in conjunction with a combination of biomarkers to better understand the data that clearly separated the compounds. Most sediments of the Langat River were found to contain low to mid-range sewage contamination with some containing `significant' levels of contamination. This is the first report on sewage pollution in the Langat River based on a combination of biomarker and multivariate statistical approaches that will establish a new standard for sewage detection using faecal sterols.     

Investigation of physico-chemical properties and microbial community during poultry manure cocomposting process

Co-composting of poultry manure and rubber wood sawdust was performed with the ratio of 2:1 (V/V) for a period of 60 days. An investigation was carried out to study the extracellular enzymatic activities and structural degradation utilizing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microbial succession was also determined by using denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (DGGE). The compost was able to reach its highest temperature of 71 ℃ at day 3 and stabilized between 30 and 40 ℃ for 8 weeks. CMCase, FPase and β-glucosidase acted synergistically in order to degrade the cellulosic substrate. The xylanase activities increased gradually during the composting and reached the peak value of 11.637 U/g on day 35, followed by a sharp decline. Both LiP and MnP activities reached their peak values on day 35 with 0.431 and 0.132 U/g respectively. The FT-IR spectra revealed an increase in aromaticity and a decrease in aliphatic compounds such as carbohydrates as decomposition proceeded. TGA/DTG data exhibited significant changes in weight loss in compost samples, indicating degradation of organic matter. SEM micrographs showed higher amounts of parenchyma exposed on the surface of rubber wood sawdust at day 60, showing significant degradation. DGGE and 16S rDNA analyses showed that Burkholderia sp., Pandoraea sp., and Pseudomonas sp. were present throughout the composting process. Ornithinibacillus sp. and Castellaniella ginsengisoli were only found in the initial stage of the composting, while different strains of Burkholderia sp. also occurred in the later stage of composting.     

Evaluation of environmental pollution and possible management options of heavy oil fly ash

Due to the presence of toxic metals, dumping of heavy oil fly ash (HOFA) is causing ever-growing environmental problem including the pollution of air, water and soil. The present study investigates the possible environmental impacts associated with the land disposal of HOFA generated in the power plant. Different modeling and laboratory analysis were integrated to address the real environmental problems. Leaching behavior of heavy metals within the HOFA were investigated by laboratory batch leaching tests, which confirmed that most of the toxic elements in the HOFA can easily leach into the environment with rain water. The level of atmospheric dust surrounding a HOFA dumping site was predicted using the Industrial Source Complex (ISC3) air dispersion model, and the results indicated that the dumping of HOFA could be a potential hazard for local air quality. The study also revealed different reuse options of HOFA. The characteristic analysis confirmed HOFA can be used as a natural adsorbent to remove pollutants from wastewater or as soil stabilizing material by blending with cement.     

Municipal solid waste management in Malaysia: Practices and challenges

Rapid economic development and population growth, inadequate infrastructure and expertise, and land scarcity make the management of municipal solid waste become one of Malaysia’s most critical environmental issues. The study is aimed at evaluating the generation, characteristics, and management of solid waste in Malaysia based on published information. In general, the per capita generation rate is about 0.5–0.8 kg/person/day in which domestic waste is the primary source. Currently, solid waste is managed by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, with the participation of the private sector. A new institutional and legislation framework has been structured with the objectives to establish a holistic, integrated, and cost-effective solid waste management system, with an emphasis on environmental protection and public health. Therefore, the hierarchy of solid waste management has given the highest priority to source reduction through 3R, intermediate treatment and final disposal.