The first report on the emergence of microplastic in Malaysian marine waters was documented in this study. Water samples were collected from two regions, namely Kuala Nerus and Kuantan port, as the representatives of different anthropogenic activities. Identification of microplastic was performed based on physical characteristics (colour, shape, density) and chemical characterisation (ATR-FTIR analysis) for a functional group of polymers. Fragment type, black or grey colour and high density (>1.02 g cm-3) of microplastic were the most prevalent characteristics found in both areas. Two principal components (density and colour) rendered explained about 95.3% (Kuantan) and 95.6% (Kuala Nerus) of the total variance. Six possible polymer materials were identified, namely polyester, polystyrene, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, and polyethylene. The findings of the study provided good baseline information on marine debris issue in Malaysia.
This paper reported the uses of ark clam shell calcium precursor in order to form hydroxyapatite (HA) via the wet chemical precipitation method. The main objective of this research is to acquire better understanding regarding the effect of sintering temperature in the fabrication of HA. Throughout experiment, the ratio of Ca:P were constantly controlled, between 1.67 and 2.00. The formation of HA at these ratio was confirmed by means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. In addition, the effect of sintering temperature on the formation of HA was observed using X-ray diffraction analysis, while the structural and morphology was determined by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy. The formation of HA nanoparticle was recorded (~35-69 nm) in the form of as-synthesize HA powder. The bonding compound appeared in the formation of HA was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy such as biomaterials that are expected to find potential applications in orthopedic and biomedical industries .