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Dyes used in textiles, foods, cosmetics, and chemicals have become a major environmental pollution issue around the world. To address this issue, a number of technologies have been created to remove these pollutants from the environment. Due to their superior properties at nanoscale, numerous nanomaterials have been applied to remove dyes from polluted waters. This research presents the findings of the development of bentonite nano zero-valent iron (B-nZVI) for the treatment of synthetic cationic dyes. This study has three objectives: (i) to produce bentonite nano zero-valence iron (B-nZVI), (ii) to characterize its adsorbents (B-nZVI), (iii) to characterize its adsorption capacity. Four main tests were used for this purpose: (i) a physical test (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area), (ii) a chemical test (cation exchange capacity (CEC) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF)), (iii) morphology (field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and (iv) mineralogy (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The five factors for the batch equilibrium test are adsorbent dose, concentration, kinetic, pH, and temperature. The batch test showed that the optimum dose for all adsorbents is 0.5 g. For the concentration factor, B-nZVI exhibits larger adsorption capacity (KL = 30,314.0536 L/g; R2 = 1) compared to bentonite (Kd = 0.0219 L/g; R2 = 0.8892). The kinetic factor showed that the adsorption capacity by pseudo-second-order model was the best for both adsorbents (qe = 1.2038 mg/g, R2 = 0.9993 for bentonite and qe = 6.9979 mg/g, R2 = 1 for B-nZVI). For B-nZVI, the interparticle diffusion model (Kf = 0.8645 m2 g−1 min L−1; R2 = 0.9) and intraparticle diffusion model (Kd = 2.3829 m2 g−1 min L−1; R2 = 0.9189) showed a good correlation with the adsorption data, while bentonite showed a lower correlation with the interparticle diffusion model (Kf = 0.0002 m2 g−1 min L−1; R2 = 0.6253) and intraparticle diffusion model (Kd = 0.2886 m2 g−1 min L−1; R2 = 0.6026), respectively. The pH factor showed that the adsorption capacity of bentonite (qe = 0.5674 mg/g) and B-nZVI (qe = 5.3284 mg/g) was highest in acidic conditions (pH 2). As for the temperature factor, there was no significant effect on bentonite and B-nZVI. Therefore, tests can be conducted at room temperature, saving energy. It was also concluded that B-nZVI is the best material for removing MB compared to bentonite and can be considered for the treatment materials of contaminated water.

There have been many attempts at colonizing Mars given the advancement of human knowledge and technology. As Muslims, we believe that the Quran and Hadith should guide humans as to how to conduct their life and to comprehend any issues regarding it. However, unfortunately there are still very few resources and studies regarding the idea of colonizing Mars based on an Islamic perspective. The main objective of this study is to analyse the correlation between Quranic commentaries with modern discoveries about Mars. The studies show that the wordardin the Quran can give the meaning of land and not specifically the planet Earth and there are commentaries on Quranic verses that indicate the existence of earths other than the planet Earth that we are inhabiting. The Quranic perspective towards the physical properties of the wordardcan serve as a benchmark on whether Mars can be considered as a land that humankind can colonize or not. For the current exploration and scientific advancement, there is no clear proof that the red planet has achieved the physical properties of the word land according to the Quranic perspective. &nbsp

The nano-zero valent iron (nZVI) has been reported as an excellent material to decolourize the anionic dyes. Aggregation of nZVI tends to reduce its reactivity. Due to this reason, modifications of nZVI were applied by using bentonite. Bentonite supported nano-zero valent irons (B-nZVI) was synthesized by using reduction method of ferrous ions and sodium borohydride in presence of bentonite. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of composite nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) in decolorized of acid orange II from aqueous solutions. All the three adsorbent materials (nZVI, B-nZVI and bentonite) were characterized by physical, chemical, mineralogical and morphological properties such as Brunnaer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with auger electron spectroscopy (XPS-AES), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The batch adsorption tests for all adsorbent materials have been conducted to determine the effectiveness of both materials in dye removal. The five effects have been analyzed in Batch test among others concentration, dose, pH, kinetic and temperature. The study found in all effects, BnZVI (qe opt = 8.9286 mg/g) showed the higher adsorption capacity followed by nZVI (qe opt = 8.1224 mg/g) and bentonite (qe opt = 5.8469 mg/g). The effectiveness of B-nZVI was due to the dispersion of nZVI particles bentonite particles, consequently provided more sites for adsorption. This study discovered that B-nZVI has a high potential to be a low-cost adsorbent for decolorized anionic dye from synthetic dye wastewater.

Geological structures such as faults and fractures have an important influence in the process of fluid movement below the surface. The hydraulic behavior in aquifers can be determined by proper characterization of fractures, fault zones and their connectivity. In this study, we concern on detection and identification of fault zones in the groundwater basin to verify whether faults in the basin area connect to the surface, and whether the fault zones occurring serve as conduits or barriers for groundwater to flow. The seismic reflection method with Common Depth Point (CDP) profiling technique has been applied in this study. Through this study, we have identified that several large and small-scale faults were found in the study area. Generally, these large-scale faults cut the bedrock (granodiorite) up to impermeable layer. This large-scale fault group can be a barrier that block the groundwater flow. The fault zone is connected to the surface as evidenced by the presence of normal fault that is clearly observed at the surface. This seismic method is good to apply in this study because it can be used to record deeper subsurface conditions, especially for fault zone detection purposes.

Soft clay soil has become a major problem in paddy cultivation area. Nearly half of the total paddy field in Kedah State, Malaysia cannot be utilized for paddy cultivation because of soft clay soil. The problem is related to the presence of weak hardpan structure that permits the soil to experience continuous wet condition. The soil also causes in the alteration of many processes soil organic carbon sequestration and turnover, but the main effect on the land is decrease in soil fertility. To investigate the effects of soft clay soil on soil organic carbon content, stock and change rate, the trial has been conducted in Alor Senibong paddy field area in Kedah, Malaysia examining the problematic paddy field that associated with soft clay soil problem. Hasil Tani Organic Compound (HTOC) was an organic soil amendment that used to enhance soil organic carbon in this study. Paddy field with the presence of soft clay soil showed a low soil organic carbon content and stock around 0.67% and 1.01 t·ha-1, respectively (depth 0-15 cm). The reduction of soil organic carbon content in soft clay soil was likely because of the waterlogged soil environment, the stability of soil aggregates and decline in humification process which then reduced soil organic carbon input. After being treated with HTOC, soil organic carbon content and carbon stock in soft clay soil have significantly increased by 0.67-3.14% and 1.01-4.76 t·ha-1 (depth 0-15 cm), respectively, yielding a mean monthly carbon change rate of 4.36 g C kg−1·mth.−1 (depth 0-15 cm). As whole, the succession of HTOC application to improve soil organic carbon content in this study could be employed in other paddy field areas that associated with soft clay soil problem.

This study has reconstructed the Holocene relative sea-level history in the relatively tectonically stable Malay Peninsula with two specific objectives: quantifying the sea-level indicative meanings of mangrove sediments and producing new high-quality sea-level index points. In this study, a wetland on the east coast of the Peninsula was extensively surveyed; the elevational relationship between habitat zones and their pollen and diatom assemblages was established; and a number of indicative meanings were precisely quantified for this wetland. This quantified relationship is extrapolated to other coastal sites of the Peninsula for re-calibration of previously published mangrove-based sea-level data. The reconstructed sea-level history from the new and re-calibrated data demonstrates a period of rapid sea-level rise at a rate of 15.8 ± 3.9 mm/a between 10,500 cal a BP at −35.0 ± 4.3 m and 9000 cal a BP at −14.2 ± 1.6 m. The rate of rising sea level was gradually reduced to zero from 9000 to 5000 cal a BP, and by the end of this period the relative sea level reached a highstand of c. 3.3 ± 0.2 m. Over the past 5000 years relative sea level fell to its lowest point at −0.6 ± 0.1 m by 800 cal a BP. This far-field sea-level history has been driven by the global ice-volume change and glacial isostatic adjustment, and it matches well with the modelled ice-volume equivalent sea level.

A soft soil is distinguished by high compressibility and low strength. It is formed in acid sulphate soil under a zero or low pressure gradient as an incompletely consolidated fine grain medium. The problem is related to the presence of weak hardpan structure that permits the soil to experiencing continuous wet condition. The objective of study was to examine closely the effects of addition of organic soil amendment namely Hasil Tani Organic Compound (HTOC) to soft soil in order to enhance its quality and strength. The study was carried out in paddy soils of Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA) Alor Senibong Kedah, Malaysia. High water content of soft soil caused low soil strength, which delayed the formation of hardpan layer. The application of HTOC could increase soil strength and reduce water content. After being treated with HTOC, soil strength has increased from 0.22 MPa to 0.70 MPa and organic matter content increased from 3.19% to 7.07%. Whilst, exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) has decreased from 21% to 5% and soil water content decreased from 40.11% to 24.38%. As whole, the application of HTOC product could improve soft soil in study area.

Recent advances in sedimentary research have shown that quartz sandstones are scarce in the global geologic record and prolonged sediment transport does not automatically produce mineralogically mature sediments. Published data are based mainly on Cambro-Ordovician arenites. This paper discusses the formational controls of early Cretaceous syn-rift quartzose from northern Gondwana based on integrated petrographic, mineralogic, and electrofacies proxies on the Upper Sarir Sandstone Formation, Sirte Basin, Libya. The study aimed to understand the compositional framework and construe the sedimentological processes that produced the quartz-rich sandstones. Acquired samples (n = 40) from three boreholes (N8-97, N7-97, and N4-97) were subjected to petrographic analysis, x-ray diffractometry, and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry. Qualitative and quantitative datasets indicate that the mean framework composition (Q97F0L3) of the sample is quartz-dominated and primarily detrital, although diagenetic imprints, mostly quartz cementation, quartz overgrowth, and other authigenic precipitates, are present. Evidenced by the predomination of monocrystalline quartz grains (99.10%) over the polycrystalline type (0.90%), the dominance of non-undulatory extinction (72.50%), and noticeable euhedral crystals, the compositional framework of the studied quartzose reflects a predominant plutonic provenance with some metamorphic inputs. The possibility of significant sediment reworking is ruled out based on short to moderate transport distance (~100 km) interpreted from the interplay of textural parameters, depositional model, and paleogeography. A humid paleoclimate alongside its associated rigorous chemical weathering is constrained as the dominant control in the formation of the Upper Sarir quartzose sandstone from a dominant craton interior provenance. These conditions probably produced other early Cretaceous arenitic sandstones in other reaches of North Gondwanaland.

Critical understanding of the reservoir pore-system is crucial for effective fluid-flow. Core-sedimentological description (40 core plugs), petrography (thin section and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry), x-ray diffractometry, and high-resolution imaging were integrated to characterize pore-modification processes in a deeply buried (ca. 12470–12558 Ft.) non-marine sandstone. The reservoir is dominantly subrounded to subangular, well-sorted to moderately well-sorted, and medium-to fine-grained quartz arenite and lithearenite. Framework ranges from matrix-supported to matrix-devoided types. With a mean point-counted composition of Q95F0L5, quartz is the dominant mineral in all samples. Core-derived porosity and permeability range from 0.88 to 16.89% (Average 9.99%) and ~0.00–431.06 mD (Average 66.42 mD), respectively. Intergranular (ɸI), micro (ɸμ), fracture (CF), and dissolution (Diss) porosities constitute an estimated 60%, 35%, 3%, and 2% of the total porosity. The pore-spaces are randomly distributed and largely disconnected from one another. Connected pores are linked by necking, tubular, and lamellar pore throats. Pore-destructive diagenetic processes occurred mainly in the early-intermediate diagenetic phase, and to lesser extent in the late diagenetic phase. Pore-enhancement processes were of sparse occurrences. Mechanical compaction, quartz overgrowth development, kaolinitization, sideritization, and calcite cementation are the main pore-occluding processes identified. Quartz overgrowth increased with depth and it shows an inverse relationship with poro-perm. The formation of quartz overgrowth haloes in the Upper Sarir Sandstone Formation were most likely formed from non-insitu silica mobilized into the pore system during post-rift cooling. This study confirms the need for careful heterogeneity modelling even in non-marine deposited reservoir sandstone, notwithstanding their known clean nature in contrast to mud-rich marine reservoirs.

This study investigated soil organic carbon content and soil respiration rate under two different fertilization treatments (NPK and NPK+HTOC) from paddy plots in Alor Senibong, Langgar, Kedah. Three paddy plots were identical in soil properties, developed to cultivate rice, were adjacent to each other to follow the conventional agricultural practice. The study area was experienced with soft clay soil problem that result in soil became less fertile. Thus, increasing soil organic carbon had an important key in improving soil fertility for better crop yield. Soil organic carbon could be enhanced by organic soil amendment application like HTOC (Hasil Tani Organic Compound). Soil samples were collected in the topsoil (0-20 cm), while soil respiration rate was measured by EGM-4 system linked to a cylindrical soil respiration chamber SRC-1 (diameter 10 cm; height 15 cm) in two season sampling. The results of the both practices have been inter–compared. For the NPK+HTOC plots, the soil organic carbon was high in the range from 40.12±0.07 g kg−1 to 43.87±0.06 g kg−1 and the respiration rate was the highest with 0.57±0.13 g m−2 hr−1 as compared to the NPK plots. Soil organic carbon content was a significant positively correlated to soil respiration rate (R2=0.8002). The results indicated that the use of HTOC or organic amendment in this study gave the positive effects on increasing soil organic carbon and maintaining soil fertility in paddy soil.

This study reports the composite nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) which was successfully synthesized using low cost natural clay (bentonite). Bentonite composite nZVI (B-nZVI) was introduced to reduce the agglomeration of nZVI particles, thus will used for heavy metals treatment. The synthesized material was analyzed using physical, mineralogy and morphology analysis such as Brunnaer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The batch adsorption test of Bentonite and B-nZVI with heavy metals solutions (Pb, Cu, Cd, Co, Ni and Zn) was also conducted to determine their effectiveness in removing heavy metals. Through Batch test, B-nZVI shows the highest adsorption capacity (qe= 50.25 mg/g) compared to bentonite (qe= 27.75 mg/g). This occurred because B-nZVI can reduce aggregation of nZVI, dispersed well in bentonite layers thus it can provide more sites for adsorbing heavy metals.

This study was carried out to determine the effectiveness ofsulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in using bran as a source of food and energy, and to see the effectiveness of the bran media and bacteria inoculums treatments for pH and sulfur-total of acid sulfate reduction insoils. This study used two factors in group random designs with four treatments for bacteria inoculum of B1 (1%), B2 (5%), B3 (10%), B4 (15%) and two treatments for organic media (bran) of D1 (1:1) and D2 (1:19). Based on three replications, the combination resulted in a total of 24 treatments. Soil pH was measured using the Duddridge and Wainright method and determination of sulfate content in soil was conducted by the spectrophotometry method. The data obtained was analyzed for significance by Analysis of Variance and the Least Significant Difference Test. The pH of the initial acid sulfate soils ranged from 3 to 4 and the soil sulfur-total ranged from 1.4% to 10%. After mixing sulfate reducing bacteria with the bran mediaand incubated for four days, the pH of the acid sulfate soils increased from 3.67 to 4.20, while the soil sulfur-total contents had been reduced by 2.85% to 0.35%. This experiment has proven that an acid sulfate soil with low pH is a good growth medium for the sulfate reducing bacteria. The bestincubation period to achieve an effective bioremediation resultthrough sulfate percentage reduction by sulfate reducing bacteria was 10 days, while the optimum bran media dose was 1:19, and the bacteria inoculums dose was 10%.

This paper aims to provide the overview of occurrence, distribution and origin of the heavy minerals in the study area. A total of 45 selected stream sediment heavy mineral concentrate samples were panned using standard dulangs, dried and separated from other light minerals using bromoform. The heavy minerals were separated into different fractions at different amperes using Frantz Isodynamic magnetic separator. Mineral identification was done using binocular microscope augmented by X-ray diffraction analyses. Mineral abundance data were analysed graphically using triangular diagrams to show their origin. Dominant minerals present in the heavy mineral samples collected are ilmenite, cassiterite, tourmaline, zircon, topaz, and magnetite. The less common minerals, present in trace amounts are hematite, xenotime, allanite, monazite, rutile, anatase, leucoxene, chromite, garnet and olivine. Examination of the heavy mineral assemblage shows that they originated from granite batholiths of the Main Range, Changkat Rembian as well as from the metasedimentary rock in the area. The gold flakes present are found together with cassiterite and topaz indicating that gold originates from the mineralized veins contact-metamorphosed metasedimentary rocks. Almost all samples collected contain cassiterite grains in various amounts. From the mineral assemblage, the source of cassiterite originates from the mineralized quartz veins that cut granitic rocks of Main Range, Changkat Rembian as well as the metasedimentary rock in the area. Greisenized veins containing quartz, mica and tourmaline with the presence of wolframite and arsenopyrite also contribute to the presence of cassiterite in this study area.