No abstract

Drivers of sustainable waste management are defined as groups of related factors that influence the development (or lack thereof) of industry. There has been no attempt to reasonably list the drivers that influence sustainable waste management in Asia. In this review, four groups of drivers of sustainable waste management, specifically of Asia, are explained. The four groups of drivers consist of three human elements (human, economic and institutional) and the environment as a single driving group. Typically, the first three groups have been very influential, with the environment driver, noticeably, only considered when preceded by other groups of drivers. The interconnectedness of the drivers and neglect of the environment driver is discussed. It is concluded that while the essence of the four groups of drivers can be found all over Asia, each driving group must be investigated in a local context and all information combined to devise sustainable waste management policies or strategies.

The widespread occurrence of microplastic has invaded the environment to an extent that it appears to be present throughout the globe. This review investigated the global abundance and distribution of microplastics in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Furthermore, the issues and challenges have been addressed for better findings in microplastics studies. Findings revealed that the accumulation of microplastics varies geographically, with locations, hydrodynamic conditions, environmental pressure, and time. From this review, it is crucial that proper regulations are proposed and implemented in order to reduce the occurrence of microplastics in the aquatic environment. Without appropriate law and regulations, microplastic pollution will eventually threaten human livelihood.

Solid waste generation and its implications for people and the environment are global issues. The complexity of the waste composition and the ever-increasing percapita waste generation is a challenge for waste managers, particularly in developing countries. Thus, the need to have a clear policy on waste management and legislation to realize that policy is imperative. Malaysia is developing rapidly and problems such as the waste generation associated with development and industrialization are evident. The Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Bill, which was approved in August 2007 after a 10-year delay, is envisaged to have serious consequences in waste management practices and implementation in Malaysia. This article explores the main features of this all-encompassing bill and its impacts on the waste management scenario in Malaysia. In addition, a comparative evaluation is also discussed to explore the policies/legislation of selected countries vis-à-vis the Malaysian bill.

The activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were determined in 30 agricultural and virgin soil samples randomly collected from Kedah, north of Malaysia, at a fertile soil depth of 0–30 cm. Gamma-ray spectrometry was applied using high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray detector and a PC-based MCA. The mean radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were found to be 102.08 ± 3.96, 133.96 ± 2.92, and 325.87 ± 9.83 Bq kg−1, respectively, in agricultural soils and 65.24 ± 2.00, 83.39 ± 2.27, and 136.98 ± 9.76 Bq kg−1, respectively, in virgin soils. The radioactivity concentrations in agricultural soils are higher than those in virgin soils and compared with those reported in other countries. The mean values of radium equivalent activity (Raeq), absorbed dose rates D (nGy h−1), annual effective dose equivalent, and external hazard index (H ex) are 458.785 Bq kg−1, 141.62 nGy h−1, and 0.169 mSv y−1, respectively, in agricultural soils and 214.293 Bq kg−1, 87.47 nGy h−1, and 0.106 mSv y−1, respectively, in virgin soils, with average H ex of 0.525. Results were discussed and compared with those reported in similar studies and with internationally recommended values.