Journal of Emerging Technologies and Industrial Applications

Mini Review of Antimicrobial Resistance and River Health: A Dual Crisis and Sustainable Mitigation Strategies

Chee Loong Teo — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and river contamination are interconnected global challenges that threaten public health, environmental sustainability, and water security. AMR, fueled by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in healthcare, agriculture, and wastewater mismanagement, has led to the widespread emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in natural ecosystems. Simultaneously, poor sanitation infrastructure, untreated wastewater discharge, and industrial pollution have contributed to the degradation of river systems, exacerbating the spread of AMR. This review consolidates insights from four major thematic areas: (1) AMR as a global health crisis and the urgent need for containment strategies, (2) the environmental spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and the role of pharmaceutical and personal care products in AMR contamination, (3) the evolution, surveillance, and mitigation of AMR in Malaysia’s rivers, and (4) the relationship between poor sanitation and water pollution, with a focus on sustainable solutions such as the Eliminate, Reduce, Enhance, and Create (EREC) framework and constructed wetlands. By integrating scientific research, engineering innovations, policy enforcement, and community engagement, this review highlights actionable strategies to control AMR and restore river health, ensuring a future of clean water and effective antimicrobial treatments.

Landfill Leachate Treatment Using Electrocoagulation

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Landfill leachate, particularly stabilized leachate, presents significant environmental challenges due to its high pollutant load, including COD, BOD, ammoniacal nitrogen (NH₃-N), total suspended solids (TSS), color, and turbidity. Conventional biological and chemical treatments struggle to address the recalcitrant nature of stabilized leachate. This study evaluates a continuous flow electrocoagulation (EC) system as an alternative treatment method, focusing on the influence of current density on pollutant removal efficiencies. Experiments were conducted using a custom-designed EC reactor equipped with iron and aluminum electrodes, with current densities ranging from 10 to 40 mA/cm². Key operational parameters, including flow rate and hydraulic retention time, were optimized to simulate real-world landfill leachate conditions. Results revealed a direct correlation between current density and pollutant removal efficiency. At the highest current density of 40 mA/cm², the system achieved significant reductions in TSS (72.14%), color (33.85%), and turbidity (25.40%). However, lower removal rates were observed for COD (18.12%) and NH₃-N (19.27%), indicating the limitations of EC in addressing recalcitrant organic compounds and ammonia. The enhanced removal at higher current densities is attributed to increased coagulant generation and improved flotation and sedimentation processes. These findings demonstrate the potential of EC as an effective primary treatment for stabilized landfill leachate, particularly for reducing suspended solids, color, and turbidity. However, the moderate removal efficiencies for COD and NH₃-N suggest that hybrid approaches, integrating EC with complementary processes such as advanced oxidation or adsorption, are necessary for comprehensive pollutant removal.

Adsorption Of Humic Acid from Leachate by Zeolite, Activated Carbon and Biochar with Their Effects on Plant Growth

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Adsorption process has been widely used for removing pollutant from water because it is simple, fast, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to investigate the optimum conditions for humic acid (HA) adsorption from leachate by zeolite, activated carbon and biochar. The results showed the optimum conditions were 60 min contact time, 50 g/L adsorbent dosage and solution pH of 3. The HA removal efficiencies of zeolite, activated carbon and biochar were 52.77%, 99.65% and 79.90% respectively. The effects of humic acid-zeolite (HAZ), humic acid-activated carbon (HAC) and humic acid-biochar (HAB) on plant growth within 10 days (early stage) and 5 weeks (late stage) were also studied. HAZ had shown the best performance in effects on plant growth. Biochar was suggested in this study as it possesses reasonable HA removal efficiency, acceptable effects on plant growth with low purchase price.

Exploring Vehicle Cabin Noise Patterns Using an Arduino-Integrated Sound Level Meter

Nurhan Ayub — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Noise engendered attributable to vibrations distresses the comfort besides performance of drivers and passengers in vehicles. This study evaluates the noise levels within the cabin of a Perodua Viva Elite 1.0cc under stationary and dynamic conditions. An Arduino-based low-cost coding and a professional sound level meter were used for data collection. The findings reveal that noise levels correlate with engine RPM and vehicle speed as well as the Arduino can be used as a instrument measurement. The Arduino system demonstrated its utility as a viable alternative for dynamic noise measurement. This research emphasizes the need for enhanced cabin noise control measures to improve user comfort and safety.

A Discussion of Omics Integration in Harnessing Agricultural Waste: A Comprehensive Review on the Conversion of Empty Fruit Bunches into Biofertilizer

Chee Loong Teo — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Food waste valorization has gained increasing attention as a sustainable approach to mitigate environmental impacts and enhance resource efficiency in agricultural and industrial sectors. This review focuses on the integration of omics technologies—genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics—in harnessing agricultural waste, particularly the conversion of Empty Fruit Bunches (EFB) from the palm oil industry into biofertilizer. The study explores the microbial communities, enzymatic processes, and metabolic pathways involved in EFB degradation and nutrient enrichment. Additionally, it discusses current challenges in food waste management, regulatory considerations, and industrial-scale applications of biofertilizers. The review highlights how integrating multi-omics approaches enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of biofertilizer production, contributing to circular economy practices and sustainable agriculture. Lastly, future research directions and potential policy interventions are proposed to standardize biofertilizer quality, optimize microbial consortia, and facilitate large-scale adoption. This work aims to provide comprehensive insights into innovative strategies for agricultural waste valorization and its role in environmental and economic sustainability.

Thermal Evaporation as a Sustainable Solution for Landfill Leachate Treatment: Removal Efficiency Analysis

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Landfill leachate poses significant environmental challenges due to its high pollutant content, requiring effective treatment to meet regulatory standards. In Malaysia, landfill leachate management often struggles to comply with the Environmental Quality Regulations 2009, prompting the need for alternative technologies. This study investigates the effectiveness of evaporation as a treatment method, focusing on the removal efficiencies of COD, BOD, turbidity, NH3-N, and colour at varying temperatures (120°C, 152°C, 154°C, and 156°C). Results showed COD removal exceeded 98%, achieving 99.6% at 156°C, demonstrating effective degradation of organic pollutants. NH3-N and BOD reductions were 86.7% and 64.6%, respectively, though both remained above discharge limits. Turbidity reductions were substantial, with final values meeting environmental standards. Colour removal was significant at lower temperatures, decreasing to 136 PCU at 120°C but declined at higher temperatures, likely due to the volatilization of chromophoric compounds. The pH consistently decreased with increasing temperature but remained above the upper regulatory limit of 9.0, necessitating post-treatment neutralization. These findings align with recent studies demonstrating the effectiveness of evaporation in reducing COD and turbidity while highlighting its limitations in addressing NH3-N, BOD, and pH compliance. Evaporation shows strong potential as a primary treatment method, particularly for reducing organic pollutants and turbidity, but requires integration with secondary processes for comprehensive leachate management. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing evaporation-based treatments and contributes to the advancement of sustainable leachate management strategies.

Energy Performance of a Reversed Circular Flow Jet Impingement Bifacial Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) Solar Collector

Muhammad Amir Aziat Ishak — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

PVT technologies relies on the photovoltaic modules to generate electricity. However, the photovoltaic module itself has a negative downside due to the heat absorbed from being exposed to solar irradiance, resulting in a decline in the module's efficiency. The implementation of a cooling system is important in order to improve its performance. This article presents the energy performance of a bifacial PVT collector cooled by a reversed circular flow jet impingement (RCFJI) by performing indoor experimental. The solar irradiance, I, tested ranged between 500W/m2 to 900W/m2 with a mass flow rate (ṁ) ranged from 0.01kg to 0.14kg/s. From the analysis, the highest photovoltaic efficiency was observed at I = 900W/m2 with 10.91% efficiency. In contrast, the highest thermal and combined photovoltaic thermal performance recorded was 61.4% and 72.35%, respectively under the same operating conditions.

Sustaining And Managing Ships’ Historical Data Through Digital Twin Alternatives

Mohd Nabhan Fahmi Zailani — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

This paper outlines the views for sustaining and managing floating structure information, exclusively in dealing with hull integrity through digital model (DM) and digital shadow (DS). The gains of utilising DM and DS are highlighted, covering the economic cost of development, operating and maintenance, time management in tracing ships' historical information for operation purposes and resource strategy in project planning. While most of the major industry players intended to invest in Digital Twin (DT) due to the push of Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0), micro-small-and-medium enterprises (MSME) were left behind due to either a lack of capital in acquiring DT technologies or a lack of resources in developing the system. Also, there is the risk of not receiving a positive return on investment (ROI) when investing in DT, as the price of DT is high due to the high order with fewer service providers. The types of technology and practical applications covering all ship life cycle phases, from shipbuilding to ship operation and ship decommission through utilising DM and DS, are highlighted. Besides, existing DM and DS applications and strategies used by other industries were examined and suggested in the paper; ergo, it could be used as an innovation repository that could be improved for maritime engineering applications. Although DM and DS applications require human intervention, the potential benefits when combining the features of intelligence tools and human-in-the-loop (HITL) could be remarkable due to the tool's flexibility, expandability, and accessibility.

Constructed Wetland Vegetated with Different Plants for Leachate Treatment

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Landfill leachate, a byproduct of waste decomposition, contains harmful pollutants that pose serious risks to the environment and public health. This study explored the use of a vertical subsurface flow constructed wetland system to treat landfill leachate, focusing on the effectiveness of three plant species: Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum), Golden Beak Sedge (Rhynchospora corymbosa), and Tube Sedge (Lepirona articulata). Napier Grass emerged as the most effective, achieving removal rates of 24.99% for turbidity, 29.97% for color, 85.01% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), and 78.39% for ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N). The study also identified four days as the optimal retention time for maximum pollutant removal, beyond which improvements leveled off. These findings highlight Napier Grass as a promising option for improving the efficiency of constructed wetlands, providing a sustainable and cost-effective solution for landfill leachate treatment.

Performance Evaluation and Optimization of a Single-Tank Anaerobic/Anoxic/Oxic Membrane Bioreactor for Landfill Leachate Treatment

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0800

Landfill leachate, characterised by high levels of COD, BOD₅, NH₃-N, TSS, and colour, poses significant environmental risks and requires stringent treatment to comply with discharge regulations. This study evaluates the performance of a prototype single-tank anaerobic/anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A2O-MBR) for landfill leachate treatment, focusing on the effects of hydraulic retention time (HRT) and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. The A2O-MBR, integrating biological and membrane filtration processes within a compact configuration, was assessed under varying HRTs (12, 15, 18 hours) and DO levels (2.6, 3.1, 3.5 mg/L). Effluent parameters were analysed for COD, BOD₅, NH₃-N, TSS, and colour, and compared against Malaysian regulatory standards. Results revealed that an HRT of 15 hours and a DO level of 3.1 mg/L provided optimum performance, achieving COD and BOD₅ removal efficiencies exceeding 90%, while TSS consistently met discharge standards. NH₃-N removal was moderate, with the lowest effluent concentration of 430 mg/L observed at DO 3.5 mg/L. However, colour removal remained limited, highlighting the persistence of refractory compounds. The findings underscore the critical role of optimising HRT and DO to balance microbial activity and pollutant removal efficiency. Notably, prolonged HRTs showed diminishing returns on performance improvement and increased operational costs. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a single-tank A2O-MBR for cost-effective leachate treatment, with potential enhancements through advanced oxidation or adsorption for improved ammonia and colour removal. The insights provided contribute to the design and optimisation of sustainable leachate management systems.