ENVIRONMENT

1) Marine

Marine environment is a major recipient of various types of radionuclides (natural and anthropogenic), stable isotope tracers, metals (heavy metal, trace metal etc.), industrial pollutants, organic substances (PAH etc.) etc. (so call chemical elements) released and transport to the environment by atmospheric as well as aquatic pathways. The marine environment may receive these chemical elements directly from the atmosphere through dry and wet deposition; and indirectly as runoff from rivers or land. Additionally, these chemical elements however also can be discharged directly into the marine as liquid waste or dumped as solid waste, which may later dissolve. Some chemical elements will behave conservatively and stay in the water in soluble form, whereas others will be insoluble or adhere to particles and thus, sooner or later, be transferred and deposited to marine sediments as well as accumulated in biotic and abiotic tissues.

Some of chemical elements, which have a multibehavior, are tendency to accumulate in biotic and abiotic tissues. These characteristics have made these chemical elements are an important indicator of marine pollution. Thus, much attention on the research study in Malaysia marine environment should be paid in order to confirm the safety of the human and marine ecosystem. Additionally, increased attention has been paid to enhance understanding of marine ecosystems and to improve their management and protection. On the other hand, it is important improve knowledge about marine biological and geochemical processes; and to enhance understanding about the history and evolution of the marine environment.

List of research topic related to the marine environment:

  • Monitoring of natural and anthropogenic radioactive (Ra-226, Ra-228, Po-210/Pb-210, U-234, U-238, Th-228, Th-230 Th-232, Am-241, Cm-243, Cs-137, and Pu-239+240) in sediment, seawater (dissolved and suspended) and biota (fish, coral reef, bivalve and shell and abiota (plankton, sea grass, seaweed etc.)
  • Monitoring of toxic and heavy metal pollution in sediment, seawater (dissolved and suspended) and biota (fish, coral reef, bivalve and shell and abiota (plankton, sea grass, seaweed etc.)
  • Monitoring of water and sediment quality
  • Uptake and bioaccumulation of radionuclide and toxic element in biota and abiota
  • Reconstruction of Marine pollution geo-chronology using U-Th decay series .
  • Inventory and flux of radioactive and heavy metal contaminant.
  • Monitoring of water and sediment quality
  • Behavior, fate and migration of radioactive contaminant/non radioactive contaminant.
  • Preliminary study on radiological assessment in marine environment.
  • Occurrence of heavy metals and natural radionuclides in abiotic and biotic components of the mangrove ecosystem.
  • Radionuclide and heavy metal uptake kinetics by mangrove sediments
  • Characterization of transfer of radionuclide and heavy metal at mangrove ecosystem using radiotracer technique.
  • Relationship of climate change and marine carbon content.
  • Applications of Radiotracer Technologies to Seafood Safety Assessment

List of research project:

1)            Assessment Of Anthropogenic Radioactivity Concentration In Marine Environmental - Project Leader: Dr Zaharuddin Ahmad

2)            Development of marine radioactivity database in Malaysia - Project Leader: Dr Zaharuddin Ahmad

3)            Assessment Of Toxic Elements In Sediment From Tsunami Affected Areas Using Nuclear Analytical Techniques - Project Leader: Dr Zaharuddin Ahmad

4)            Speciation of arsenic, chromium and selenium in anoxic sediment - Project Leader: Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim

5)            Study on Mercury in Fish in Peninsular Malaysia – Project Leader: Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim

6)            Assessment of Metals Contamination in Sediment from Coastal, estuarine and River of Linggi (NM – R&D – 11 – 15) - Project Leader: Md Suhaimi Elias

7)            Mitigation of Coastal Impact of Natural Disasters like Tsunami, using Nuclear or Isotope-based Techniques (Post-Tsunami Environmental Impact Assessment) – Project Leader: Dr. Abdul Kadir Ishak

8)            IAEA/RCA (RAS/7/016) – Establishing a Benchmark for Assessing the Radiological Impact of Nuclear Power Activities on the Marine Environment in the Asia-Pacific region – National Project Coordinator (NPC): Dr. Zaharuddin Ahmad

9)            Establishment of anthropogenic radioactivity concentration in Peninsular Malaysia marine environment (04-03-01-SF0020) – Project Leader: Dr. Zaharuddin Ahmad

10)          Application of nuclear techniques to study bioaccumulation and transfer factor for marine biota (04-03-01-SF0022) – Project Leader: En. Norfaizal Mohamed

11)          IAEA/RCA (RAS/7/019) – Harmonizing Nuclear and Isotopic Techniques for Marine Pollution Management at the Regional Level (RCA) – National Project Coordinator (NPC): Dr. Abdul Kadir Ishak

12)          Characterization of land-based pollution at Sungai Linggi using nuclear and isotopic Techniques (PQRD - Nuklear Malaysia Seed Fund) – Project Leader: Mr. Yii Mei Wo

13)          Distribution of radioactive contaminants Cs-137, Pu-239+240 and Am-241 in seawater and sediments of Sulu-Sulawesi Sea (EPSP’09). (NM-R&D-10-09) – Project Leader: En. Mohd Izwan Abdul Adziz

 

2) Atmospheric and Terrestrial

The studies on atmosphere and terrestrial environment have been essential because it is related to the protection/preservation of environment and health of living organisms including humans. Because of industrialization and urbanization, pollutions of atmosphere and terrestrial environment have been major concerns in many countries across globe. In Malaysia, various research projects related to atmospheric and terrestrial environmental studies have been conducted and many new projects are in progress. Among these projects are those directly involving the assessment of pollution level in air and terrestrial environmental samples. Various analytical techniques were utilized to obtain large volume of data such as radionuclides, toxic and trace elements, and organic pollutants. Samples were collected from various locations in the country and the data would provide information on distribution and identifications of sources of contaminants in the atmospheric and terrestrial environment. Future research would include the biogeochemistry of inorganic and organic pollutants as well as modeling on the dispersion of these pollutants in atmospheric and terrestrial environments.

 

List of research topic related to the marine environment;            

  • Monitoring of natural and anthropogenic radioactive (radionuclide Ra-226, Ra-228, Po-210/Pb-210, U-234, U-238, Th-228, Th-230 Th-232, Am-241, Cm-243, Cs-137, and Pu-239+240) in soil, rock, food, flora (crop, lichen, moss, plant and fruits) and fauna
  • Monitoring of toxic and heavy metal pollution in soil, rock, food, flora (crop, lichen, moss, plant and fruits) and fauna
  • Uptake and bioaccumulation of radionuclide and toxic element in flora and fauna
  • Transfer and migration of radioactive/non-radioactive elements, (eg., movement of tritium)
  • Monitoring of radioactive and non-radioactive in air particulate (PM10 and PM2.5)
  • Monitoring of radioactive and non-radioactive in rain water
  • Modeling of radionuclide/air pollution transport including long-ranged/ trans-boundary transport

 

List of research project:

1)   Utilization of Research Reactor – Multielement Analysis In Rice Grains By Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (FNCA project) – Project Members: Md Suhaimi Elias, Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah Salim and Dr Wee Boon Siong

2)   IAEA/RCA project on Characterization and Source Identification of Particulate Air Pollution in the Asian Region”, (RAS/7/015) . – Project Leader: Shamsiah Ab Rahman

3)   Investigation on Mosses and Lichen as bio-indicator for air monitoring using Neutron Activation Analysis and Inductive Couple Plasma Mass Spetrometry – Project Leader: Shakirah Shukor