Mohd Rafatullah

University of Science Malaysia | USM · School of Industrial Technology

The present investigation deals with feasibility to use available biomass waste, Terminalia arjuna seed as cost‐effective sorbent for reactive orange 16 (RO16) dye elimination from wastewater. The present study centers around the modification of Terminalia arjuna seed biochar (TASB) by applying one‐step synthesis procedure, by using melamine as a n...

The intensifying reliance on fossil fuels has spurred heightened interest in the development of sustainable alternative energy solutions, with a particular focus on bioethanol. Achieving enduring advancements in greener technologies within the biofuel manufacturing sector necessitates a harmonious integration of interdisciplinary considerations, en...

The marine environment is an abundant source of organisms which are rich in functional/bioactive compounds. Many of these compounds exhibit a remarkable potential for medical, industrial and biotechnological applications. Handled appropriately, with a focus on sustainability, these organisms and compounds can offer new and renewable feedstocks for...

Nanotechnology arising in wide-ranging areas, covers extensively different ranges of approaches attained from fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, and medicine engineering. Nanoparticles are a necessary part of nanotechnology effectually applied in the cure of a number of diseases. Nanoparticles have gained significant importance due to thei...

Ni-doped Copper oxide (Ni-CuO) nanoparticles have been synthesized from Arabic Gum. Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) polyester was biosynthesized by the microorganism Haloferax mediterranei utilizing date waste as carbon source. The produced Ni-doped copper oxide (Ni-CuO) nanoparticles have been incorporated with different percen...

There is currently a critical gap in knowledge regarding the application of microbial electrochemical technologies (METs) in industrial wastewater treatment and resource recovery. Resource Recovery from Industrial Wastewater through Microbial Electrochemical Technologies fills this gap by offering a comprehensive guide for researchers, students, an...

Nature iron is considered one of the promising catalysts in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) that are utilized for soil remediation from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, the existence of anions, cations, and organic matter in soils considered impurities that restricted the utilization of iron that was harnessed naturally in the...

The presence of impurities is a significant restriction to the use of natural iron minerals as catalysts in the advanced oxidation process (AOP), especially if applied for soil remediation. This...

The extensive use of the herbicide diuron is leading to serious water pollution problems. As biomass-derived carbon is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective adsorption material, it presents a feasible option for removing diuron. In this paper, we investigated the adsorption capabilities of palm kernel shell-derived biochar combined with me...

The catalysts derived from natural iron minerals in the advanced oxidation process offer several advantages. However, their utilization in soil remediation is restricted due to the presence of soil impurities, which can inhibit the catalytic activity of these minerals. The soils in tropical regions exhibit lower organic matter content, limited cati...

The fast proliferation of wearable electronics has ushered in a new era of technological convergence with daily living, necessitating sustainable power solutions. Wearable microbial fuel cells (MFCs), which use microbe’s ability to produce energy, have emerged as an innovative solution to this demand. Recent advances in electrode materials, includi...

Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide commonly used to control weeds and unwanted vegetation in various agricultural, horticultural, and industrial settings. It is a contact herbicide that kills plants upon direct contact. Paraquat is highly toxic to humans. Ingestion of even small amounts can lead to severe poisoning, multi-organ failure, and even...

The present study aims to use coconut fruit shell biochar (CFSB), an efficient sorbent for Rhodamine B dye (RhB) elimination from aqueous solution. The availability of functional groups and morphology of CFSB surface were analyzed by applying Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Batch experiments we...

Nano-structured materials gain a vast market acceptance mainly due to their overarching endurance. Nanofibrillar cellulose (NFC) is one example of an augmenting agent unviable for production by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) due to the underlying process complexity. This study aims to characterise the NFC-alternative cells denoted as TRX-cells...

The advanced oxidation process (AOP) is an efficient method to treat recalcitrance pollutants such as pharmaceutical compounds. The essential physicochemical factors in AOP experiments significantly influence the efficiency, speed, cost, and safety of byproducts of the treatment process. In this review, we collected recent articles that investigate...

The current study report a convenient, simple, and low cost approach for the biogenic synthesis of CuO/Fe3O4 nanocomposites (NCs) from pumpkin seeds extract and their vitro cytotoxicity. The characterization of finally obtained CuO/Fe3O4 nanocomposites (NCs) performed using UV–Visible, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, GC-MS, SEM-EDX and TEM analysis. The formation...

This study concerns with the production and partial characterization of alkaline cellulase from alkaliphilic cellulolytic (AC) fungi isolated fromsoil in Perlis, Malaysia. The best fungi strain was selected on the basis of producing the highest cellulase at high pH conditions. Cellulase from the selected fungi strain was further characterized under...

Bacteriocins produced by Bacillus subtilis have gained recognition for their safe use in humans. In this study, we aimed to assess the inhibitory activity of an antimicrobial peptide synthesized by the wild-type strain of B. subtilis against the notorious pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Our investigation employed the broth microdilution method to...

In the present era, the widespread issue of environmental pollution poses a substantial global challenge. Industrial effluent, containing a range of organic and inorganic pollutants, poses significant hazards to both aquatic ecosystems and human health if released into water bodies. Hence, it is essential to subject these effluents to treatment in...

Rubber wood sawdust (RBS) represents a prominent agricultural waste, notable for its high lignocellulose content. This unique composition not only renders it eco-friendly but also offers enhanced mechanical strength, biodegradability, and cost-effectiveness, making it a promising candidate for composite materials. Beyond its traditional role in the...

Substantial quantities of wastewater effluents and biomedical waste consisting of different toxic environmental pollutants such as pharmaceutically active compounds, organic contaminants, heavy metals, radioactive isotopes , and pathogenic microbes are released from the healthcare systems. Therefore, the development of efficient treatment technolog...

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are one of the emerging pollutants (EPs) groups that attracted the environmentalist’s attention according to the increase in their demand. Diclofenac (DFC) is an anti-inflammatory medication used as a first-line treatment for pain. Around 15% of DFC is unmetabolized after human consumption, leading...

Wastewater discharge into aquatic systems has become a severe threat to the ecosystem. Herein, Direct Red 28 (DR28) dye removal from an aqueous solution was executed with the application of date fruit seed biochar (DFSB). Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were utilized for the identification of functio...

Haloferax mediterranei archaea has been utilized to biosynthesize Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) polyester from date waste as carbon source. The produced biopolymer has been composited with different percentages (1 %, 3 %, 5 % and 10 %) of a hybrid filler based on 1 : 1 carboxylated multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (CMWCNTs) and g...

Mango has a high global demand. Fruit fungal disease causes post-harvest mango and fruit losses. Conventional chemical fungicides and plastic prevent fungal diseases but they are hazardous to humans and the environment. Direct application of essential oil for post-harvest fruit control is not a cost-effective approach. The current work offers an ec...

The ultrafiltration mixed matrix membrane (UF MMMs) process represents an applicable approach for the removal of diluted acetic acid at low concentrations, owing to the low pressures applied. The addition of efficient additives represents an approach to further improve membrane porosity and, subsequently, enhance acetic acid removal. This work demo...

According to the global climate change, the increase in population number, industrialization, and the increase of contaminants that are released into the environment has put pressure on our planet and increased the threat to public health. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a class of harmful compounds that are resistant to natural biological...

This chapter deals with various aspects of the emerging contaminants. A brief introduction and classification of the target pollutants is mentioned. The ill effects and the consequences of such contaminants are also mentioned. One of the most required actions on such pollutants is their monitoring. Several analytical procedures ranging from the tra...

The low performance of insulation panels has received great attention from many researchers and engineers to improve their properties as it has become a limiting factor that minimize their usage specifically as insulation building material. Recently, there has been an increase in interest in the development of composite insulation panels made from...

The hybridization between polymers and carbon materials is one of the most recent and crucial study areas which abstracted more concern from scientists in the past few years. Polymers could be classified into two classes according to the source materials synthetic and natural. Synthetic polymeric materials have been applied over a floppy zone of in...

The utilization of lignocellulose biomass as an alternative source of renewable energy production via green technology is becoming important, and is in line with sustainable development goal initiatives. Lignocellulolytic bacteria, such as Bacillus spp., can break down biomass by producing hydrolytic enzymes, which are crucial in the successful con...

Citation: Alosaimi, A.M.; Alorabi, R.O.; Katowah, D.F.; Al-Thagafi, Z.T.; Alsolami, E.S.; Hussein, M.A.; Qutob, M.; Rafatullah, M. Review on Abstract: Hybrid materials are classified as one of the most highly important topics that have been of great interest to many researchers in recent decades. There are many species that can fall under this cate...

Ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 /NH 4 + ) polluted wastewater raises a serious threat to the safety of aquatic system. In addition to eutrophication, the presence of NH 3 /NH 4 + in the aquatic body reduces chlorine disinfectant efficiency during water treatment. Concerns regarding other conventional NH 3 ‐N removal processes, to tackle these contaminants,...

Sandwich composite panel for heat insulation application were fabricated from two types of agricultural biomass waste, the oil palm empty fruit bunch and spent mushroom substrate. These agricultural biomasses are abundant, renewable, and without proper disposal management, might cause massive environmental pollution. This study investigated the eff...

Massive generation of natural waste fiber from agricultural industries followed by improper disposal management might result in a detrimental effect on our ecosystem contributing to various types of environmental pollution. With the growing significance of climate change, an effort is being undertaken by utilizing natural waste fiber into eco-frien...

Nature has always inspired innovative minds for development of new designs. Animals and plants provide various structures with lower density, more strength and high energy sorption abilities that can incite the development of new designs with significant properties. By observing the important functions of biological structures found in nature, scie...

Patent Blue (PB) dye removal from an aqueous medium was investigated using pineapple fruit peel biochar (PFPB). The presence of functional groups and surface characteristics of PFPB was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A study was conducted to assess the pH effect, contact time, concent...

The use of microalgae for the removal of contaminants such as total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and other pollutants from palm oil mill effluent (POME) has recently received much attention. This study aimed to investigate the impact of POME as a nutrient on microalgal growth and the rate at which nutrients we...

The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [...]

Recently, the contribution of earthworms to plastic degradation and their capability to swallow smaller plastic fragments, known as microplastics, has been emphasized. The worm physically changes the size of microplastics and enhances microbial activities to increase the possibility of degradation. However, no research has shown that earthworms can...

Cadmium and lead soil contamination is a widespread environmental problem that requires profound and sustainable solutions. These toxic elements can be naturally occurring on the Earth's crust or from man-made origins. Cadmium and lead could accumulate and translocate in soil over the long term. Thus, their risk of entering the food chain is extrem...

Pharmaceutical compounds attracted environmentalists according to their unknown impact on the ecosystem and the increase in their demand. Acetaminophen (ACT) or paracetamol has been detected more than the natural concentration value. To avoid the negative impact of the ACT accumulation into the environment, many treatment techniques have been appli...

The aim of the present work is to investigate the potential use of banana peel waste as a natural coagulant and to enhance its coagulation performance using a green modification approach for the removal of synthetic water turbidity and river water treatment. Here, the regular banana peel powder had an average particle size and diameter of 978 ± 37...

The need for energy resources is growing all the time, which means that more fossil fuels are needed to provide them. People prefer to consume chicken as a source of protein, and this creates an abundance of waste. Thus, microbial fuel cells represent a new technological approach with the potential to generate electricity through the action of elec...

In addition to disposal issues, the abundance of sludge and chicken manure has been a rising issue in Malaysia. Membrane-less microbial fuel cell (ML-MFC) technology can be considered as one of the potential solutions to the issues of disposal and electricity generation. However, there is still a lack of information on the performance of an ML-MFC...

The present study investigated the uptake of polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, the most commonly used biodegradable plastic by Eudrilus eugeniae. It was done by observing their weight changes, biomass, and microplastics concentration after feeding them with a mixture of PLA and cow dung for 16 days at the ratio of 0%, 10%, 30%, 60%, and 80% w/w...

Prior to applying supported liquid membranes (SLM) with strip dispersion for separation of chromium (VI), copper and zinc, suitable chemical settings were determined through solvent extraction and stripping studies. More than 90% of copper and zinc could be simultaneously extracted with at least 3% (v/v) di-(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) at...

Pharmaceutical compounds have piqued the interest of researchers due to an increase in their demand, which increases the possibility of leakage into the environment. Amoxicillin (AMX) is a penicillin derivative used for the treatment of infections caused by gram-positive bacteria. AMX has a low metabolic rate in the human body, and around 80–90% is...

The present study demonstrates the thermal stability and photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based nanotubes with respect to post-hydrothermal treatment. Titanate nanotubes were synthesized by adapting an alkali hydrothermal method from TiO2 sol using NaOH as a catalyst. The effect of post-hydrothermal heating on the properties—such as structure, morph...

Water scarcity and the accumulation of recalcitrance compounds into the environment are the main reasons behind the attraction of researchers to use advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Many AOP systems have been used to treat acetaminophen (ACT) from an aqueous medium, which leads to generating different kinetics, mechanisms, and by-products. In t...

The seed extract of Abelmoschus esculentus (AE), also known as Okra, was used as a source of reducing and capping agents to synthesized biogenic titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) due to its rich flavonoid contents. The synthesized AE-TiO2 nanoparticles were further evaluated by the effect of loading of TiO2 NPs and irradiation time on the p...

Environmental concerns have arisen due to the persistent nature and carcinogenicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). This study used the doping approach to successfully develop a nanocomposite photocatalyst based on graphene oxide (GO) and zinc oxide (ZnO). The nanocomposites were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectro...

Because of low cost and abundance, nickel-iron double layered hydroxide (NiFe LDH) is seen as a viable substitute for noble-metal-based electrodes for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we report the growth of NiFe LDH in the form of fine nanosheets in a single step using benzyl alcohol-mediated chemistry. The electrochemical studies clea...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are compounds with 2 or more benzene rings, and 16 of them have been classified as priority pollutants. Among them, pyrene has been found in higher concentrations than recommended, posing a threat to the ecosystem. Many bacterial strains have been identified as pyrene degraders. Most of them belong to Gram-positive...

Azo dyes are widely used in textile industries in variety of processes. Azo dyes are generally considered as xenobiotic chemicals because of their recalcitrant nature against biodegradation processes. However, in recent years, it has been considered that under specific environmental conditions many microorganisms are capable of converting these tox...