The document discusses a project to develop sustainable fertilizer delivery systems and biosorbents using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) to improve water quality in Malaysia. The team aims to synthesize CMC from agricultural waste and cross-link it to create hydrogels for slow-release fertilizers and absorbing excess nutrients and heavy metals from water. Field tests will take place at a bioremediation facility within an oil palm estate. The technology could help treat eutrophication issues in lakes and rivers near urban and agricultural areas, improving water availability for local communities and industries.

1. Sustainable Fertilizer Delivery Systems
and Biosorbents
Safeguarding Malaysia's Rich
Water Resources
Team Members:
Chan EWC
Chia PX, Huang CMT, Wong CW

2. Malaysia in Southeast Asia

3. Malaysia is rich in water resources that have
contributed immensely to its socio-economic
development over the past decades
Water quality is an important consideration for urban
lakes to fulfill their socio-economic role
However, many of the lakes, rivers and reservoirs are
threatened by eutrophication and clean water is
scarce in some localities
Introduction

4. Vast areas in the state of Pahang are converted to
farmland
Reduces amount of treatable water
Conversion of water
catchment areas

5. Problem statement
Most of the lakes and rivers in Malaysia have little in
the means of water treatment

6. 2. CMC-based Biosorbents
to absorb ions from the lake
to improve water quality.
1. CMC-based Fertilizer
Delivery Systems
to reduce the loss from
leaching and associated water
pollution.
Proposed Solution

7. Project Plan
Synthesis of CMC
Crosslinking of CMC
Absorption & Release Kinetics
Large Scale Synthesis & Crosslinking
Field studies

8. Benchmark for innovation
Few studies conducted on CMC synthesis from the
major Malaysian crops
Much research on cellulose from crops of developed
countries such as wheat, soy and maize
Studies on ionic CMC hydrogels are much more
common than those on covalent hydrogels

9. Agricultural Wastes

10. Practical applicability
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can produced at low
cost from Malaysian agricultural waste
High cationic exchange allows better retention of
cations such as potassium
Degrades more slowly than cellulose over several
months

11. Clean water
1.Thefertilizergranulecontains
the nutrients needed for
optimalplantgrowth.
2.Biodegradable superabsorbent
polymerisswollenbywaterin
soiltoreleasenutrients.
3.Nutrientsfromfertilizerdissolve
inwateranddiffusetothesoil
incontrol.
Fertilizer
Delivery
Reduce the need
of irrigation.
Reduce leaching.
Reduce water
pollution.
Biodegrade over
time.

12. CMC-based biosorbents are able to absorb excess
plant nutrients and heavy metals to facilitate their
removal
Dirty
water
Hydrogels
Clean
water
Swollen hydrogels
with ions absorbed
Biosorptio
n

13. Ionic hydrogels are very easy to produce and have
been applied in slow release fertilizers
However, they tend to be less stable to pH changes
Ionic CMC hydrogels

14. Covalent CMC hydrogels
Covalent hydrogels tend to be more stable for longer
periods of time
This makes them better suited for bioremediation
and encapsulation of fertilizers
Covalent cross-linking reagents e.g. adipic acid
dihydrazide are prohibitively expensive for large-
scale production

15. Electron beam crosslinking
Recently obtained access to the electron beam
processing facility of the Malaysian Nuclear Agency
Electron beam irradiation triggers free radical
reaction that crosslinks without expensive reagents
This would improve the commercial viability of
covalent hydrogels

16. Sustainable use of resources
Using agricultural waste reduces the environmental
and economic costs of disposal
Reduced leaching, reduces fertilizer use and
improves water quality
This increases the amount of treatable water in rivers
and reservoirs

17. Layang River Water Pump
Only certain stretches of the Layang river can be
converted into drinking water
Oil palm estate overlooking the river can degrade
water quality

18. Sustainability
Economic: Malaysian agriculture comprises 9.3% of the
GDP and provides for 11% of its workforce
Technological: Waste is used to produce biosorbents and
fertilizer delivery systems to improve water quality
Social: Improved water quality and availability benefits
local industries and communities
Environmental: Malaysia has high rain fail, leaching of
fertilizers is an important concern

19. Deployment in Putrajaya Capital
Water quality of rivers
near urban and industrial
areas is deteriorating
Putrajaya lake gives off an
unpleasant odour
Initial deployment of our
technology at Putrajaya
Lake would greatly benefit
67,964 residents

20. Artificial wetland built to
maintain water quality
The wetland is nearing
its 20-year life-span
There is an oil palm estate
right next to the wetland
Putrajaya
Wetlands

21. Eutrophication
Hotspots
Multiple hotspots have
been identified
Attributed to run-off from
recreational gardens and
sewage

22. Science
to Action
Our industrial partner is Chitose Bio
Evolution Pte. Ltd., a Japanese firm
Their business model is based on fully
utilising biomass to minimize wastage and
develop high-value products
They have a bioremediation facility within
an oil palm estate in East Malaysia that
would allow us to test our technology in
the field

23. Future Plans
Synthesis of CMC
Crosslinking of CMC
Absorption & Release Kinetics
Large Scale Synthesis & Crosslinking
Field studies
CMC-
polyacrylamide
composites
Recycling
absorbed
ions
Social
economic
studies

24. Beyond Malaysia
Better water quality benefits
a wide range of stakeholders
This technology can be
applied in a wide range of
settings within and outside
Malaysia
CMC encapsulated fertiliser
is simple enough to be
applied in public parks and
household gardens.

25. Thank you for your attention
One of Malaysia’s first
private universities, with
more than 10,000 students
from 80 different countries
CMC project team