Mohd Rafatullah

Universiti Sains Malaysia | USM · School of Industrial Technology

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemicals that are released into the environment during activities of the petroleum industry. The bioaccumulation, carcinogenic and mutagenic potential of PAHs necessitates the bioremediation of these contaminants. However, bioremediation of PAHs has a number of limitations including the inability of a si...

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...

These days, many countries have a water shortage and have limited access to clean water. To overcome this, a new treatment is emerging, namely, the photocatalytic processing of greywater. Photocatalytic processes to remove the organic matter from different greywater sources are critically reviewed. Their efficiency in degrading the organic matter i...

This study aims to improve electron transfer and cobalt remediation efficiency through microbial fuel cells (MFCs) by modifying the electrode material. The fabrication and alteration of the anode can be accomplished by synthesizing biomass-derived graphene oxide (GO) and adding metal oxides (ZnO and TiO 2 ) as modifiers. The prepared GO anode offer...

The growing problems of environmental damage have been caused by the continuous outrush of heavy metals from industrial wastewater. To resolve this issue, bioremediation is playing a safe and eco-friendly role in the removal of these heavy metals from environmental wastewater bodies. It has provoked demand with regard to understanding the mechanism...

Removal of Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye from an aqueous solution was studied by its adsorption on banana peel biochars (BPBs). The factors affecting RB5 dye adsorption such as pH, exposure time, RB5 dye concentration, adsorbent dose, particle size and temperature were investigated. Maximum 97% RB5 dye removal was obtained at pH 3 with 75 mg/L adsorba...

Industrial production operations generate huge amounts of heavy metals enriched sludge. Due to inadequate management and illegal disposal practices, this waste sludge can deteriorate human and environmental health. For sustainable environmental development and conserving human health, sludge should be recycled to recover the heavy metals and the tr...

The water polluted with toluene could be treated using a membrane less single chamber benthic microbial fuel cells (SBMFCs) by using sugar cane waste as a substrate producing energy. Toluene oxidizes into intermediate benzoic acid and completely converts into non‐toxic carbon dioxide. The BMFC generated a voltage of 0.530 V between 40 and 80 days w...

Here, we present an innovative and creative sustainable technique for the fabrication of titania (TiO2) using Acorus calamus (A. calamus) leaf extract as a new biogenic source, as well as a capping and reducing agent. The optical, structural, morphological, surface, and thermal characteristics of biosynthesized nanoparticles were investigated using...

The manuscript presents the first report to produce silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using soil-inhabiting Purpureocillium lilacinum fungus cell filtrate as a promising fungicide and nematicide on two microorganisms causing high economic losses in agriculture. Methods: A fungus biomass was used as a reducing and stabilising agent in the process of NP...

Emerging contaminants are the contaminants that newly identified their adverse effects on the environment. Pharmaceutical compounds have gained researchers’ attention among developing organic pollutants as the demand for pharmaceutical compounds has increased, implying their continuing release into the environment. Acetaminophen (ACT) is a popular...

The nanomaterials synthesis is an intensifying research field due to their wide applications. The high surface-to-volume ratio of nanoparticles and quick interaction capacity with different particles make them as an attractive tool in different areas. Conventional physical and chemical procedures for development of metal nanoparticles become outmod...

Earth and coastal ecosystems are not static, and they usually respond to environmental changes, mostly anthropogenic and climatic. Here, the authors described natural values, coastal landforms, and types of infrastructure that are most likely to be affected by climate change (CC) and provide information for assessing inundation, erosion, and recess...

The eminence of water has been worsening as a result of anthropogenic actions, unplanned urbanization, rapid industrialization, population growth, and amateurish utilization of natural water bodies. The wastewater produced during the dyeing and finishing process is characterized by strong color, high chemical oxygen demand, high temperature, high p...

Drought is a main abiotic stress that inhibits yield of crops all over the world. Water is an important component for transport of nutrients and overall growth of plants. Drought affects all the stages of development of plants, that is vegetative and reproductive phases. The supplementation with nanoparticles can maintain water content, enhances av...

The increase of food demand due to population growth has prompted the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides. This extensive utilization of unsafe pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural practices leads to pollution and various health issues. Nanotechnology in agriculture sector has gained momentum in the past few years which can solve thes...

In this chapter, various carbonaceous adsorbents have been addressed and reviewed for the adsorption of pesticides from an aqueous solution. The removal of pesticides from the aqueous solution is indispensable for a healthy and clean environment because they are considered water pollutants and have critical human health impacts even at small concen...

Fossil fuel consumption is a major cause of climate change. Biomass to biofuel conversion is reliable and feasible method which can solve environmental problems related to the excessive use of fossil fuels. Application of biofuel can reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, thus reduce carbon dioxide emission as biofuels are carbon neutral. Applicat...

Nanometer scale cells delaminated from oil palm fruit bunch (EFB) microfiber cell walls were coated on commercial A4 and laboratory sheets prepared from virgin fibers. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) revealed the cells as translucent laminae of fibrils (TRX) bound together in a 5 nm to 100 nm thick web with dendritic edges....

In this study, we aimed to observe how different operating parameters influenced the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB, cationic dye) and bromophenol Blue (BPB, anionic dye) over ZnO/CuO under visible light irradiation. This further corroborated the optimization study employing the response surface methodology (RSM) based on central co...

Microalgae immobilisation can be a long-term solution for effective wastewater post-treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the ability of immobilised Chlorococcum oleofaciens to remove contaminants from palm oil mill effluent (POME) until it complies with the POME discharge standard. First, the native dominating green microalga was isolate...

In the current study, a variety of sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES)-based ion-exchange membranes were prepared and utilized as efficient and selective solid adsorbents for the detection of Co(II) ions in aquatic solutions. SPES membranes were treated with a variety of cations at a 2:1 ratio overnight. The produced materials were assessed via XRD,...

Water is an essential part of life, however, with continued modernization, it has become a dumping place for many pollutants including dyes. The polluted water can severely affect human health. Polluted water can enter into the human body through different channels, including the food web. Thus, it is very important for human beings and animals to...

Water pollution, mainly occurring from manufacturing industries, has been a serious environmental issue in the contemporary world. Dyeing processes produce a massive amount of dye-contaminated effluent; it is a major culprit for water and soil pollution in developing and underdeveloped countries. The azo dye released from industries poses a severe...

Poor access to drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene has always been a major concern and a main challenge facing humanity even in the current century. A third of the global population lacks access to microbiologically safe drinking water, especially in rural and poor areas that lack proper treatment facilities. Solar water disinfection (SODIS) is...

The physical properties, such as the fibre dimension and crystallinity, of cellulose nanofibre (CNF) are significant to its functional reinforcement ability in composites. This study used supercritical carbon dioxide as a fibre bundle defibrillation pretreatment for the isolation of CNF from bamboo, in order to enhance its physical properties. The...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of naturally occurring chemicals resulting from the insufficient combustion of fossil fuels. Among the PAHs, phenanthrene is one of the most studied compounds in the marine ecosystems. The damaging effects of phenanthrene on the environment are increasing day by day globally. To lessen its effect...

This study is focused on the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oils to turn the waste into energy by biological means. Physicochemical analysis of the oil samples was performed by measuring their density, acid value and saponification value for evaluating their efficacy towards biodiesel synthesis. Metal catalyzed glycerolysis and acid cat...