https://jsnm.nuclearmalaysia.gov.my/index.php/dja/issue/feed 2025-03-11T08:25:46+08:00 Dr. Siti Najila Mohd Janib najila@nuclearmalaysia.gov.my Open Journal Systems <p>Jurnal Sains Nuklear Malaysia (JSNM; Nuclear Science Journal of Malaysia) is a refereed journal published biannually since 1983 by the Malaysian Nuclear Agency. </p> <p>JSNM is dedicated to providing a platform for publication of articles on the development and applications of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology and radiation applications. It is a multidisciplinary, international, peer-reviewed open access journal for original scientific papers in fundamental and applied research as well as review articles related to nuclear science and technology. </p> <p>The journal aims to serve the scientific and academic community, industry professionals, research institutions, government agencies and policy-makers by:</p> <ul> <li>Providing authoritative and up-to-date information in the field of nuclear science and technology</li> <li>Promoting the exchange of ideas and research within the nuclear science and technology community</li> <li>Supporting the development of nuclear technology and applications in various fields for peaceful purposes</li> </ul> <p>We welcome submissions that explore the following topics:</p> <ol> <li>Nuclear engineering and management</li> <li>Medical technology and health physics</li> <li>Industrial applications</li> <li>Agrotechnology and biosciences</li> <li>Water, energy and environment</li> <li>Radiation processing technology</li> <li>Radiation safety, security and health</li> <li>Mathematics, computer science and information technology</li> </ol> https://jsnm.nuclearmalaysia.gov.my/index.php/dja/article/view/116 2024-11-10T01:17:11+08:00 Mustapha Akil mustapha@nm.gov.my Norazlina Noordin mustapha@nm.gov.my Shakinah Salleh mustapha@nm.gov.my Muniroh Md. Saad mustapha@nm.gov.my Norhafiz Talib mustapha@nm.gov.my Mohamed Hasyraf Mad Nawi mustapha@nm.gov.my Muhammad Abu Bakar mustapha@nm.gov.my Muhammad Syamim Abdul Rahim mustapha@nm.gov.my Noor Shaireen Shahira Khalid mustapha@nm.gov.my

<p>Cassava (<em>Manihot esculenta</em>) is a key staple crop in tropical and subtropical regions, renowned for its ability to thrive in poor soils and withstand drought conditions. In Malaysia, cassava cultivation faces challenges such as low genetic diversity, susceptibility to pests and diseases, and limited yield improvement due to reliance on traditional breeding methods. Despite its economic importance, traditional breeding methods in cassava are challenged by complex polyploid genome and predominantly vegetative propagation. This research aimed to evaluate the acute radiosensitivity of cassava <em>var</em>. Ubi Kuning to gamma irradiation as a preliminary step toward enhancing genetic variability for mutation breeding programs. In this study, evaluation of the acute radiosensitivity of cassava cuttings to gamma irradiation, using doses of 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, and 60Gy was conducted. The cuttings were irradiated with a gamma irradiator (Biobeam GM8000) using Caesium-137 as the source, and subsequently planted in polybags in a glasshouse. The survival data indicated an LD₅₀ of approximately 33Gy whilst plant height data showed a GR₅₀ of approximately 28Gy. The results show that as the gamma radiation dose increases, both data of the survival and growth of cassava decrease, demonstrating the plant's sensitivity to gamma irradiation. The findings suggest that doses around 28-33 Gy induced significant genetic variability while maintaining sufficient viability for mutation breeding programs. This study emphasizes the importance of optimizing irradiation doses as a foundation for developing improved cassava cultivars through mutation breeding.</p>

2025-03-11T00:00:00+08:00 Copyright (c) 2025 JURNAL SAINS NUKLEAR MALAYSIA https://jsnm.nuclearmalaysia.gov.my/index.php/dja/article/view/131 2024-11-10T00:55:19+08:00 Munirah Abdul Zali munirahzali@nm.gov.my Nurul Fatehah Ibnul Kasim Ahmad nurulfatehah010@gmail.com Masni Mohd Ali masni@ukm.edu.my

<p><em>Arsenic and mercury levels in marine organisms are critical environmental and public health concerns. These toxic elements can accumulate in bivalves and pose significant consumer risks. Monitoring of these elements is essential to ensure the safety of seafood consumption. In this study cockles, clams and mussels were collected from Melaka and Pahang states for the determination of total arsenic and total mercury levels. The bivalve tissues were digested using microwave digester and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). The total arsenic in the bivalve samples ranged between 0.85 ± 0.04 mg kg^-1 and 1.60 ± 0.27 mg kg^-1. Meanwhile, the total mercury in the bivalve samples was from 0.004 ± 0.002 to 0.007 ± 0.002 mg kg^-1. The result of the elements was compared with the local and global guidelines. This research provides the latest information for food safety and risk assessment studies in the regional and national levels. </em></p>

2025-03-11T00:00:00+08:00 Copyright (c) 2025 JURNAL SAINS NUKLEAR MALAYSIA https://jsnm.nuclearmalaysia.gov.my/index.php/dja/article/view/132 2024-11-10T00:22:32+08:00 Nooradilah Abdullah nooradilah@nm.gov.my Norfaizal Mohamed@Muhammad norfaizal@nm.gov.my Mei Wo Yii yii@nm.gov.my Mohamad Noh Sawon mohamadnoh@nm.gov.my

<p><em>Strontium-90 (Sr-90) is a radioactive isotope with significant health risks due to its long half-life and bone-seeking properties. Accurate analysis of Sr-90 is essential for environmental monitoring and safety assessments. This study presents the proficiency test (PT) results conducted at the Radiochemistry and Environment Laboratory, Malaysia Nuclear Agency, in 2021 until 2023.</em> <em>A total of nine samples, including spiked water, simulated contaminated surfaces, and seawater, were analyzed by using a gas proportional counter for beta counting. The acceptability of results was rated based on the trueness and precision determined by the relative bias and P values. Four results fell within the acceptable range, one was in the warning range, and four were deemed unacceptable. The main causes of the unacceptable results were due to the lack of Y-90 correction, loss of Sr-90 during sample preparation, and possible incomplete separation of Sr-90. These findings emphasize the need for method refinement, enhanced quality control, and continuous laboratory training to improve the accuracy and reliability of Sr-90 analysis.</em></p>

2025-03-11T00:00:00+08:00 Copyright (c) 2025 JURNAL SAINS NUKLEAR MALAYSIA https://jsnm.nuclearmalaysia.gov.my/index.php/dja/article/view/138 2025-01-05T00:47:10+08:00 Kwai Hoe Phua Choo phua@nm.gov.my Ali Tan Kee Zuan phua@nm.gov.my Ahmad Zainuri Mohamad Dzomir phua@nm.gov.my Chong Saw Peng phua@nm.gov.my Nur Humaira’ Lau Abdullah phua@nm.gov.my Mariani Deraman phua@nm.gov.my Norellia Bahari phua@nm.gov.my Mohd Hafiz Abd Nasir phua@nm.gov.my Azania Shazlin Mohamad Razali phua@nm.gov.my

<p>Gamma irradiation for mutation induction in microbes has been utilised to improve antagonistic effects on plant pathogens in agriculture, and to enhance enzyme production during fermentation. Radiation mutagenesis to induce multifunctional activities in biofertiliser microorganisms, is a recent endeavour in Malaysia. Bacteria mutagenesis is complex and is affected by many factors. There is no prior standard or information in this area of research. Therefore, it is crucial to have a standard optimum dose and median lethal dose (LD₅₀) data as a guideline. In this study, eight Gram-negative and four Gram-positive isolates of biofertiliser bacteria, which were isolated from compost, soil, and plants, were subjected to gamma irradiation at Malaysian Nuclear Agency to improve their plant growth-promoting activities, such as N₂ fixation, phosphate, and potassium solubilisation. Gram staining was carried out on the isolates. The isolates were identified as <em>Acinetobacter</em> sp., <em>Klebsiella</em> sp., <em>Enterobacter </em>sp., <em>Pseudomonas</em> sp., <em>Pantoea</em> sp., <em>Bacillus</em> sp. and <em>Priestia</em> sp. by using the 16S rRNA method. These isolates were gamma-irradiated at doses of 50 to 400 Gy. Survival curves revealed that the bacterial levels (log number of cfu/mL) decreased with increasing gamma irradiation doses. The LD₅₀of the Gram-negative isolates ranged from 380 to 500 Gy, while for Gram-positive isolates it ranged from 800 to 1600 Gy. These LD₅₀ ranges will be refined further and used for improvement of multifunctional activities of these isolates.</p>

2025-03-11T00:00:00+08:00 Copyright (c) 2025 JURNAL SAINS NUKLEAR MALAYSIA https://jsnm.nuclearmalaysia.gov.my/index.php/dja/article/view/145 2025-02-13T15:23:00+08:00 Nurul Wahida Ahmad Khairuddin nwahida@nm.gov.my Rafizi S. nwahida@nm.gov.my Ahmad Khairulikram Z. nwahida@nm.gov.my Muhammad Fathi S. nwahida@nm.gov.my Nurul Syazwani Y. nwahida@nm.gov.my Nor Atiqah A.S nwahida@nm.gov.my

<p>Radioactive waste management is an important element in ensuring the peaceful use of nuclear and its related technology. In Malaysia, Malaysian Nuclear Agency is solely responsible for the management of radioactive waste in the country and its responsibilities include collection, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of the radioactive waste. Treatment process is crucial in immobilizing the radionuclides from leaching out from the waste form. This project aims at assessing the effectiveness of fly ash-based geopolymer in the immobilization of radioactive waste in particular spent resin. In this project, spent resin from the Low-Level Effluent Treatment Plant (LLETP) will be treated with geopolymer blended from fly ash obtained as a by-product from a coal power plant in Malaysia. The spent resin from the LLETP becomes <a href="https://www.powerthesaurus.org/unusable/synonyms">unusable</a> after several cycles of usage and thus needs to be replaced. The spent resin is considered to be problematic and, in many cases, requires special approaches and precautions during its treatment to meet the waste acceptance criteria for disposal. This investigation serves to support the pursuit for effective and viable option to immobilize spent ion exchange resin at WasTeC in ensuring long-term safety.</p>

2025-03-11T00:00:00+08:00 Copyright (c) 2025 JURNAL SAINS NUKLEAR MALAYSIA