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The irresponsible disposal of untreated wastewater into waters, soil and groundwater results in polluted water resources. Moreover, nutrients such as phosphorus have become culprits of concern in accelerating eutrophication. Besides, this issue could cause water poisoning and the degradation of recreational opportunities. Therefore, for justifying this problem, it is important to understand the quantity of phosphorus (P) flows by using recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) as filter materials. RCA used as a filter system has emerged as an alternative technology for phosphorus removal. This can overcome the problem of construction site waste by converting the waste into valuable products. Thus, this study aims to investigate the physical and chemical characteristics of RCA that influenced adsorption of P and the percentage of phosphorus removal from synthetic wastewater by using two different sizes of RCA. A total of five vertical recycled concrete aggregate filter was designed. The samples taken from influent and effluent were tested once a week and analyzed to determine pH and percentage removal phosphorus. RCA was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) testing to determine chemical composition. The results show that RCA primarily contained aluminium, calcium, and magnesium that could enhanced the phosphorus adsorption. The RCA with size 5 to 10 mm is shown to have high potential to remove phosphorus up to 99.57%. The higher the size of RCA, the higher percentage of phosphorus removal. In conclusion, RCA has the potential to remove phosphorus from wastewater.

The solid waste crisis has become one of the contributors to environmental issues such as climate change, environmental pollution and loss of rainforest. The contribution of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in achieving sustainable development and society is undeniable. With the ethical and moral obligations to act responsibly towards the environment, they tend to become leaders in the movement for environmental protection. As a new branch of the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM) campus, the UTHM Pagoh Campus aims to become one of the green campuses at Pagoh Educational Hub. A well-managed Solid Waste Management (SWM) can provide a number of benefits, such as reduction in waste disposal cost as well as creating awareness among the campus community. In this study, interviews were carried out with the stakeholders to obtain in-depth information regarding SWM on campus. From the interviews, it was found that the main challenges faced in implementing SWM on campus are: low awareness among the community; lack of policy and guidelines on SWM; and insufficient facilities. To overcome these challenges, the “Zero Waste Campus” (ZWC) initiative is proposed to be implemented on campus in order to reduce the waste stream. The ZWC covers several aspects of the campus’s SWM, such as policy development and facility improvement.

Raw water supplies are based on surface and groundwater sources all over the world. It is important to control the groundwater pollution in maintaining sustainable water sources. The common problem of groundwater sources is the high concentration of iron (Fe). These high concentration of iron results in metallic taste of water, effect color, health and cause environmental problem. Therefore, Ministry of Health Malaysia has set the standard quality control for iron in raw and drinking water to be 1.0 mg/L and 0.3 mg/L, respectively.