Sumiani Yusoff

Feasibility Studies of Palm Oil Mill Waste Aggregates for the Construction Industry

The agricultural industry in Malaysia has grown rapidly over the years. Palm oil clinker (POC) is a byproduct obtained from the palm oil industry. Its lightweight properties allows for its utilization as an aggregate, while in powder form as a filler material in concrete. POC specimens obtained throughout each state in Malaysia were investigated to evaluate the physical, chemical, and microstructure characteristics. Variations between each state were determined and their possible contributory factors were assessed. POC were incorporated as a replacement material for aggregates and their engineering characteristics were ascertained. Almost 7% of density was reduced with the introduction of POC as aggregates. A sustainability assessment was made through greenhouse gas emission (GHG) and cost factor analyses to determine the contribution of the addition of POC to the construction industry. Addition of POC helps to lower the GHG emission by 9.6% compared to control specimens. By channeling this waste into the construction industry, an efficient waste-management system can be promoted; thus, creating a cleaner environment. This study is also expected to offer some guides and directions for upcoming research works on the incorporation of POC.

Mode Choice between Private and Public Transport in Klang Valley, Malaysia

In 2010, Klang Valley has only 17% trips each day were completed using public transport, with the rest of the 83% trips were made through private transport. The inclination towards private car usage will only get worse if the transport policy continues to be inefficient and ineffective. Under the National Key Economic Area, the priority aimed to stimulate the increase of modal share of public transport in the Klang Valley to 50% by 2020. In the 10th Malaysia Plan, the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit was proposed, equipped with 141 km of MRT system, and will integrate with the existing rail networks. Nevertheless, adding kilometers into the rail system will not help, if people do not make the shift from private into public transport. This research would like to assess the possible mode shift of travellers in the Klang Valley towards using public transport, based on the utility function of available transport modes. It intends to identify the criteria that will trigger their willingness to make changes in favour of public transport as targeted by the NKEA.

Soil chemistry and pollution study of a closed landfill site at Ampar Tenang, Selangor, Malaysia

A total of 20 landfills are located in State of Selangor, Malaysia. This includes the Ampar Tenang landfill site, which was closed on 26 January 2010. It was reported that the landfill has been upgraded to a level I type of sanitary classification. However, the dumpsite area is not being covered according to the classification. In addition, municipal solid waste was dumped directly on top of the unlined natural alluvium formation. This does not only contaminate surface and subsurface soils, but also initiates the potential risk of groundwater pollution. Based on previous studies, the Ampar Tenang soil has been proven to no longer be capable of preventing pollution migration. In this study, metal concentrations of soil samples up to 30 m depth were analyzed based on statistical analysis. It is very significant because research of this type has not been carried out before. The subsurface soils were significantly polluted by arsenic (As), lead (Pb), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and aluminium (Al). As and Pb exceeded the safe limit values of 5.90 mg/kg and 31.00 mg/kg, respectively, based on Provincial Sediment Quality Guidelines for Metals and the Interim Sediment Quality Values. Furthermore, only Cu concentrations showed a significantly decreasing trend with increasing depth. Most metals were found on clay-type soils based on the cluster analysis method. Moreover, the analysis also differentiates two clusters: cluster I—Pb, As, zinc, Cu, manganese, calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and Fe; cluster II—Al. Different clustering may suggest a different contamination source of metals.

Life cycle assessment of biological-mechanical treatment in solid waste management

Mechanical-biological waste treatment process commonly produce an organic rich fraction containing nutrients and organic matter which have the potential to improve physical, chemical and biological health of soil. Based on recommended BMT-based integrated MSW management system, life cycle assessment is employed to compare the environmental impact potential (EIP) of two BMT-based waste treatment strategies (BMT-incineration and BMT-landfill) with traditional landfill and incineration in Kahrizak, Iran. The results show that the landfill has higher impact on climate change and acidification while using BMT in landfill has decreased the effect on the climate change and also ‘incineration scenario’ has highest impact on fossil fuel, climate change and respiratory inorganic. While using BMT –incineration has decreased the effects on climate change and fossil fuels. The results verify that BMT based on MSW management would be environmentally reasonable and helpful to develop integrated MSW management system in Kahrizak, Iran.

A case study on an environmental impact assessment in Malaysia

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure in Malaysia has been developed primarily as an aid to the environmental planning of new or existing development projects. The pollution control which have been promoted for quite some time in Malaysia is essentially a curative process where else the implementation of the mandatory EIA procedures is more of a preventive measure to avoid costly mistakes in planning and development. All activities listed under the Environmental Quality (Prescribed Activities) (Environmental Impact Assessment) Order 1987 have to undergo an EIA before commencement of work. This paper describes the EIA process in Malaysia with a particular reference to a proposed new road which has undergone an EIA study. The EIA procedure as outlined in the Environmental Quality Act, Malaysia (1974) is discussed and several aspects of the EIA process is highlighted.

Barriers to Renewable Energy Development: Five Fuel Policy in Malaysia

Since the year 2000 in Malaysia, national government has identified appropriate implementation strategies for the development and utilisation of renewable energy sources. A target of obtaining 5% of the total energy supply from renewable sources was set, although it has not yet been reached. A lot of studies were carried out about potential technological, economic, social, or politics barriers to renewable energy development in Malaysia. Although important, there is a necessity for multi aspect investigation of these barriers. By applying a theoretical framework, this paper seeks to examine expert perceptions and understanding of the barriers to renewable energy development in Malaysia. This study shows that barriers to renewable energy cannot be explained only by one factor in separation. The results of this study indicate that, the intention to use renewable energy is influenced by the cost of renewable energy technology. From the analysis of the opinions of the respondents, it can be said that best way to overcome these barriers is that the government should play a powerful leadership.

Benefits of Clean Development Mechanism application on the life cycle assessment perspective: a case study in the palm oil industry.

This study performed an assessment on the beneficial of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) application on waste treatment system in a local palm oil industry in Malaysia. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to assess the environmental impacts of the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction from the CDM application. Calculations on the emission reduction used the methodology based on AM002 (Avoided Wastewater and On-site Energy Use Emissions in the Industrial Sector) Version 4 published by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). The results from the studies showed that the introduction of CDM in the palm oil mill through conversion of the captured biogas from palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment into power generation were able to reduce approximate 0.12 tonnes CO2 equivalent concentration (tCO2e) emission and 30 kW·hr power generation per 1 tonne of fresh fruit bunch processed. Thus, the application of CDM methodology on palm oil mill wastewater treatment was able to reduce up to 1/4 of the overall environment impact generated in palm oil mill. Implications The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an arrangement under the Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol Kyoto Protocol to support developing countries in greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction. Since CDM indicators only focus on GHG emissions reduction, the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology could be used to provide additional assessment on the environmental impact of the CDM implementation. This study utilized the GHG emission reduction indicators obtained from CDM methodology for calculating the environmental impacts based on various environmental consequences and evaluation.

Engineering and sustainability aspect of palm oil shell powder in cement

Palm oil shell (POS) is a waste material which significantly produced in palm oil mills. In current practice, this waste is dumped in open land or landfill sites or is used as fuel to run a steam turbine of a boiler, which leads to environmental pollutions. The characterization, engineering and sustainability aspect of this waste for using in cement-based applications lead to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and cost, save natural resources for cement production and also sustainable usage of waste material. The characterization was carried out using particle size analyzer, XRF, SEM and total organic carbon analyzer. ASTM standard methods were used to observe the setting time and water for normal consistency. The compressive strength of palm oil shell powder (POSP) blended cement was explored with the water to cement and cement to sand ratio of 0.40 and 0.50, respectively up to 40% replacement levels of OPC. Result found that the setting time and water demand were increased, but compressive strength was decreased to replacement levels. However, the incorporation of POSP in cement was reduced 9.6% of CO2 emission, 25 % of the cost and save natural resource, i.e. limestone, clay, iron ore, silica shale and gypsum of 35.1%, 4.95%, 0.9%, 4.05 % and 1.2 %, respectively at 30% replacement level of OPC. The results of this extensive study on POSP characterization, effect on basic cement properties and sustainability aspect provide the guidance for using the POSP at industrial scale for cement production.Palm oil shell (POS) is a waste material which significantly produced in palm oil mills. In current practice, this waste is dumped in open land or landfill sites or is used as fuel to run a steam turbine of a boiler, which leads to environmental pollutions. The characterization, engineering and sustainability aspect of this waste for using in cement-based applications lead to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide and cost, save natural resources for cement production and also sustainable usage of waste material. The characterization was carried out using particle size analyzer, XRF, SEM and total organic carbon analyzer. ASTM standard methods were used to observe the setting time and water for normal consistency. The compressive strength of palm oil shell powder (POSP) blended cement was explored with the water to cement and cement to sand ratio of 0.40 and 0.50, respectively up to 40% replacement levels of OPC. Result found that the setting time and water demand were increased, but compressive strength w...

A Review of the Application of LCA for Sustainable Buildings in Asia

The introduction of life cycle assessment (LCA) to the building industry is important due to its ability to systematically quantify every environmental impact involved in every process from cradle to grave. Within the last two decades, research on LCA has increased considerably covering from manufacturing of building materials and construction processes. However, the LCA application for buildings in Asia are limited and fragmented due to different research objectives, type of buildings and locations. This paper has attempted to collect and review the application of LCA in the building industry in Asia from the selected publications over the last 12 years, from 2001 to 2012. The result shows that most LCA research basic methodology is based on International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 14040 series but with variance. It is found that the operational phase consume highest energy and concrete responsible for the highest total embodied energy and environmental impact. It also suggested that building material with low initial embodied energy does not necessarily have low life cycle energy. Overall, findings from LCA studies can help to make informed decisions in terms of environmental impact and help realizing sustainable buildings in the future.

Curbing Climate Change through a National Development of Climate Change Policy

In the last century, global development trends have tended to favour democratic systems and the capitalist ideology. In turn more equitable, economically secure, technologically advanced and intellectually progressive societies have developed around the world. However, at the same time, the side-effects of these trends have also been the creation of a materialistic society, high energy and resource consuming economy alongside inevitable, irreversible environmental damage and resource plundering. Economic analysis has a special role in contemporary national policy-making, as most of the important decisions fall within the economic domain. A country’s development level is principally measured by its GDP or monetary economic growth. Therefore, an economic model that is less materialistic and less energy demanding have to be introduced to achieve sustainable development, especially in the long-run. The development of a sustainable economic model has to recognise the environmental impact as part of the development agenda and finding a viable relationship between the two components. One common idea is to internalise the environmental impact into the economic scene with benefits to society and economy at large. To achieve the sustainable economic model, innovative policy instruments are essential in creating the necessary shifts in economic trends or patterns. A climate change policy plays a role in directing a country towards a sustainable economic development model by regulating the GHGs emission with appropriate sectoral policies in place.