Application of photocatalytic proxone process for petrochemical wastewater treatment

Industrial wastewaters are different from sanitary wastewaters, and treatment complications due to their unique characteristics, so biological processes are typically disrupted. High chemical oxygen demand, dye, heavy metals, toxic organic and non-biodegradable compounds present in petroleum industry wastewater. This study intends to optimize the photocatalytic proxone process, utilizing a synthesized ZnO-Fe3O4 nanocatalyst, for petroleum wastewater treatment. The synthesis of ZnO-Fe3O4 was done by air oxidation and layer-by-layer self-assembly method and XRD, SEM, EDAX, FT-IR, BET, DRS, and VSM techniques were used to characterize the catalyst. Central composite design (CCD) method applied to investigated the effect of pH (4-8), reaction time (30-60 min), ozone gas concentration (1-2 mg/L-min), hydrogen peroxide concentration (2-3 mL/L) and the amount of catalyst (1-0.5 g/L) on the process. In the optimal conditions, biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal, reaction kinetic, and synergistic effect mechanisms on the process were studied. Based on the ANOVA, a quadratic model with R2 = 0.99, P-Value = 0.0001, and F-Value = 906.87 was proposed to model the process. Based on the model pH = 5.7, ozone concentration = 1.8 mg/L-min, hydrogen peroxide concentration = 2.5 mL/L, reaction time = 56 min, and the catalyst dose = 0.7 g/L were proposed as the optimum condition. According to the model prediction, an efficiency of 85.3% was predicted for the removal of COD. To evaluate the accuracy of the prediction, an experiment was carried out in optimal conditions, and experimentally, a 52% removal efficiency was obtained. Also, at the optimum condition, BOD5 and TPH removal were 91.1% and 89.7% respectively. The reaction kinetic follows the pseudo-first-order kinetic model (R2 = 0.98). Also, the results showed that there is a synergistic effect in this process. As an advanced hybrid oxidation process, the photocatalytic proxone process has the capacity to treat petroleum wastewater to an acceptable standard.

Biomass Energy in Malaysia: Current Scenario, Policies, and Implementation Challenges

The energy demand in Malaysia has shown a dramatic increase over the last few years: with natural gas and coal being the primary contributors. Nevertheless, due to declining in fossil fuel reserves coupled with negative environmental impacts, shifting to sustainable renewable energy for meeting the future energy demand is recommended. Since Malaysia is rich with natural resources, utilization of biomass energy (bioenergy/biofuel) as the alternative energy is promising to be further explored. Therefore, this review paper intents to discuss the current scenario of different types of biomass energy in Malaysia along with the up-to-date local biomass energy-related environmental policy (from 2016 onwards). In addition, challenges and barriers for large-scale implementation of the biomass energy in Malaysia are to be discussed. Overall, this review paper is interesting as it can assist in promoting the biomass utilization as energy source, and to ensure the future growth of biomass energy market in the country along with its effective implementation while alleviating poor disposal problem and to create job employment opportunities. Furthermore, a collective effort to expand potential biomass feedstocks, apart from oil palm, should be emphasized to encourage the renewable energy production diversification in the nation.

An integrated biorefinery strategy for the utilization of palm-oil wastes

Each year, the palm oil industry generates a significant amount of biomass residue and effluent waste; both have been identified as significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This issue poses a severe environmental challenge for the industry due to the possibility of long-term negative effects on human well-being. The palm-oil industry must invest significantly in the technology that is required to resolve these issues and to increase the industry's sustainability. However, current technologies for converting wastes such as lignocellulosic components and effluents into biochemical products are insufficient for optimal utilization. This review discusses the geographical availability of palm-oil biomass, its current utilization routes, and then recommends the development of technology for converting palm-oil biomass into value-added products through an integrated biorefinery strategy. Additionally, this review summarizes the palm oil industry's contribution to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) through a circular bioeconomy concept.