Publications by authors named "Margaret William Thomes"
Article Synopsis
- The study examined black carbon (BC) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in 42 sediment samples from different coastal areas in Peninsular Malaysia.
- The findings showed a wide range of BC (0.02 to 0.36% dw) and PAHs (57.7 to 19,300 ng g dw) concentrations, with higher levels in developed West and South coasts compared to the cleaner East coast.
- Diagnostic ratios suggested that PAHs varied in source; petrogenic sources were prevalent in the East coast sediments, while pyrogenic sources dominated in the West and South, with significant correlations found between PAHs, BC, and total organic carbon (TOC).
Barnacles are ubiquitous in coastal ecosystems of different geographical regions worldwide. This is the first study attempting to assess the suitability of barnacles as bioindicators of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in coastal environments. Barnacles were collected from the coasts around Peninsular Malaysia and analyzed for POPs including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMonitoring Consumption of Common Illicit Drugs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by Wastewater-Cased Epidemiology.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
January 2020
Article Synopsis
- Southeast Asian countries, particularly Malaysia, are significant players in the global drug trade, with a notable rise in amphetamine-type stimulant use in the last decade.
- A study conducted in Kuala Lumpur collected wastewater samples to analyze the presence and concentration of various drug biomarkers, revealing fourteen detected drug residues, with ecstasy showing the highest per capita consumption.
- The findings highlighted a shift in the drug market from opioids to amphetamine-type stimulants, indicating their prevalence over traditional drugs and a low presence of new psychoactive substances.
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View Article and Find Full Text PDFUse of sterols and linear alkylbenzenes as molecular markers of sewage pollution in Southeast Asia.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
November 2019
Southeast Asia has undergone rapid developments in terms of urbanization, economic and population growth. The progress in sewerage treatment infrastructure has not kept pace with such developments. The inadequacy and inefficiency of sewerage systems has prompted the release of untreated sewage into the aquatic environment of Southeast Asia causing many waterborne illnesses since surface water is utilized for recreational, agricultural and aquaculture purposes and, above all, as a source of water intake in Southeast Asia.
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