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This review provides an intensive overview of flame retardant coating systems. The occurrence of flame due to thermal degradation of the polymer substrate as a result of overheating is one of the major concerns. Hence, coating is the best solution to this problem as it prevents the substrate from igniting the flame. In this review, the descriptions of several classifications of coating and their relation to thermal degradation and flammability were discussed. The details of flame retardants and flame retardant coatings in terms of principles, types, mechanisms, and properties were explained as well. This overview imparted the importance of intumescent flame retardant coatings in preventing the spread of flame via the formation of a multicellular charred layer. Thus, the intended intumescence can reduce the risk of flame from inherently flammable materials used to maintain a high standard of living.

The water stream has been reported to contain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), released from households and premises through discharge from Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). This research identifies commonly consumed NSAIDs namely ibuprofen (IBU), diclofenac (DIC), ketoprofen (KET) and naproxen (NAP) in the influent wastewater from two urban catchments (i.e. 2 STPs). We expand our focus to assess the efficiency of monomer (C18) and dimer (HLB) types of sorbents in the solid phase extraction method followed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) analysis and optimize model prediction of NSAIDs in the influent wastewater using I-Optimal design. The ecological risk assessment of the NSAIDs was evaluated. The HLB produced reliable analysis for all NSAIDs under study (STP1: 6.7 × 10 -3  mg L -1 to 2.21 × 10 -1  mg L -1 , STP2: 1.40 × 10 -4  mg L -1 to 9.72 × 10 -2  mg L -1 ). The C18 however, selective to NAP. Based on the Pearson proximity matrices, the DIC HLB can be a good indicator for IBU HLB (0.565), NAP C18 (0.721), NAP HLB (0.566), and KET HLB (0.747). The optimized model prediction for KET and NAP based on DIC are successfully validated. The risk quotients (RQ) values of NSAIDs were classified as high (RQ > 1), medium (RQ, 0.1-1) and low (RQ, 0.01-0.1) risks. The optimized models are beneficial for major NSAIDs (KET and NAP) monitoring in the influent wastewater of urban domestic area. An upgrade on the existing wastewater treatment infrastructure is recommended to counteract current water security situation., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hydroxyapatite (HA) has been widely used as a scaffold in tissue engineering. HA possesses high mechanical stress and exhibits particularly excellent biocompatibility owing to its similarity to natural bone. Nonetheless, this ceramic scaffold has limited applications due to its apparent brittleness. Therefore, this had presented some difficulties when shaping implants out of HA and for sustaining a high mechanical load. Fortunately, these drawbacks can be improved by combining HA with other biomaterials. Starch was heavily considered for biomedical device applications in favor of its low cost, wide availability, and biocompatibility properties that complement HA. This review provides an insight into starch/HA composites used in the fabrication of bone tissue scaffolds and numerous factors that influence the scaffold properties. Moreover, an alternative characterization of scaffolds via dielectric and free space measurement as a potential contactless and nondestructive measurement method is also highlighted.

Perak River basin is in Perak state of Peninsular Malaysia. In this research, the river stretch serves as water intake for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes in Perak Tengah, Hilir Perak and Manjung regions. It is located in mixed use area whilst exposing the river to anthropogenic elements. The sampling locations were conducted at selected points of Perak River namely Tanjung Belanja Bridge (TBB), Water Treatment Plant Parit (WTPP), Parit Town discharge (PTD), Water Treatment Plant Senin (WTPS) and Water Treatment Plant Kepayang (WTPK). The existence of aromatic hydrocarbons in freshwater samples was pre-assessed via qualification analysis; specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA 254 ) method at 254 nm of wavelength. The SUVA dataset were 48.38 L/mg-m (TBB), 50.54 L/mg-m (WTPP), 8.05 L/mg-m (PTD), 85.75 L/mg-m (WTPS) and 217.39 L/mg-m (WTPK). The SUVA 254 values of fresh water at the river basin have exceeded the water quality standards value equivalent to 2.0 L/mg-m permitted by the Environmental Protection Agency of United States. The exceeding values were an indication of a large portion of aromatic compounds in the water. Qualification analyses evident the existence of water pollutants at treacherous concentrations for public health in freshwater samples of Perak River basin. Thus, this research has presented important findings towards further research and countermeasure for a better alternative of water treatment in Malaysia., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic compounds, composed of two or more fused benzene rings and abundantly found in mixed-use areas. Mixed-use areas consist of dense population, urbanization, industrial and agricultural activities. River pollution are common in mixed-use areas and 98% of Malaysia's fresh water supply originates from surface water. The biological degradation, adsorption and advanced oxidation process were documented as the available PAHs treatment for water. To date, the application of the photo-Fenton oxidation process has been reported for the treatment of PAHs from contaminated soil (review paper), landfill leachate, municipal solid waste leachate, sanitary landfill leachate, aniline wastewater, ammunition wastewater and saline aqueous solutions. As for potable water, the application of Fenton reagent was aided with photo treatment or electrolysis not focusing on PAHs removal. •The presented MethodsX was conducted for PAHs degradation analysis in potable water samples using photo-Fenton oxidation process.•The designed reactor for batch experiment is presented.•The batch experiment consists of parameters like concentration of 17 USEPA-PAHs in the prepared aqueous solution (fixed variable), reaction time, pH and molarity ratio of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ): ferrous sulfate (FeSO 4 ).