ABSTRACT
The climate, geomorphological changes, and hydrological elements that have occurred have all influenced future flood episodes by increasing the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather occurrences like extreme precipitation events. River bank erosion is a natural geomorphic process that occurs in all channels. As modifications of sizes and channel shapes are made to transport the discharge, sediment abounds from the stream catchment, and floods are triggered dramatically. The aim of this study is to analyze the flood-sensitive regions along the Pahang River Basin and determine how climate and river changes would have an impact on flooding based on hydrometeorological data and information on river characteristics. The study is divided into three stages, namely the upstream, middle stream, and downstream of the Pahang River. The main primary hydrometeorological data and river characteristics, such as Sinuosity Index, Dominant Slope Range and Entrenchment Ratio collected as important inputs in the statistical analysis process. The statistical analyses, namely HACA, PCA, and Linear Regression applied in river classification. The result showed that the middle stream and downstream areas demonstrated the worst flooding affected by anthropogenic and hydrological factors. Rainfall distribution is one of the factors that contributed to the flood disaster. There are strong correlations between the Sinuosity Index (SI) and water level, which indicates that changes occurred at both planform and stream classification. The best management practices towards sustainability are based on the application of the outcomes that have been obtained after the analysis of Pahang River planform changes, Pahang River geometry, and the local rainfall pattern in the Pahang River Basin.
ABSTRACT
The discharge of industrial effluents, such as phenol, into aquatic and soil environments is a global problem due to its serious negative impacts on human health and aquatic ecosystems. In this study, the ability of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) to remove phenol from an aqueous medium was investigated. The results showed that a significant proportion of phenol (up to 74.91%) was removed using PVPP at pH 6.5. Isotherm adsorption experiments of phenol on PVPP indicated that the best-fit adsorption was obtained using Langmuir models. The response peaks of the hydroxyl groups of phenol (OH) and the carboxyl groups (i.e., C=O) of PVPP were altered, indicating the formation of a hydrogen bond between the PVPP and phenol during phenol removal, as characterized using 1D and 2D IR spectroscopy. The resulting complexes were successfully characterized based on their thermodynamic properties, Mulliken charge, and electronic transition using the DFT approach. To clarify the types of interactions taking place in the complex systems, quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis, reduced density gradient noncovalent interaction (RDG-NCI) approach, and conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) approach were also successfully calculated. The results showed that the interactions that occurred in the process of removing phenol by PVPP were through hydrogen bonding (based on RDG-NCI and COSMO-RS), which was identified as an intermediate type (∇2ρ(r) > 0 and H < 0, QTAIM). To gain a deeper understanding of how these interactions occurred, further characterization was performed based on adsorption mechanisms using molecular electrostatic potential, global reactivity, and local reactivity descriptors. The results showed that during hydrogen bond formation, PVPP acts as a nucleophile, whereas phenol acts as an electrophile and the O9 atom (i.e., donor electron) reacts with the H22 atom (i.e., acceptor electron).
ABSTRACT
The study reports on the valorization of municipal grass waste (MGW) for the extraction of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), as an eco-friendly and sustainable low-cost precursor for cellulose nanomaterial production. The raw MGW was subjected to boiling in water pretreatment, and alkali and bleaching treatments for the extraction of cellulose fibers, followed by isolation of the CNCs through a conventional acid hydrolysis technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyze the cellulose fibers extracted while scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images confirmed the presence of cellulose fibers and CNCs, respectively. The chemical composition of MGW was ascertained through the TAPPI-222 om-02 standard for lignin content and determination of α-cellulose. The diameters of CNCs are in the range of 5-15 nm with the length ranging from 100 nm to 500 nm, while a crystallinity index of 58.2% was determined from X-ray diffraction analysis. The production of CNCs from MGW is an avenue to convert green waste into a value-added product, in addition to reducing the volume of cumulative waste in the environment.
