JOHOR BAHRU, 1 October 2026 – The Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), congratulates Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr. Aemi Syazwani Abdul Keyon from the Department of Chemistry for successfully securing a research grant from the Kurita Water and Environment Foundation (KWEF), Japan, amounting to JPY 400,000.
The one-year research project, running from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027, focuses on developing an analytical approach for detecting and analysing nanoplastics in Malaysian environmental waters.
Officially titled “Deep Eutectic Solvent-Based Phase Separation and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectrophotometry Workflow for Nanoplastics Analysis in Malaysian Environmental Waters,” the project combines deep eutectic solvent-based separation with UV-Visible spectrophotometry to establish a practical workflow for nanoplastics analysis.
Nanoplastics are increasingly recognised as emerging environmental contaminants due to their extremely small size and potential persistence in aquatic environments. Developing accessible and effective analytical approaches is therefore important for improving the understanding and monitoring of nanoplastic contamination in Malaysian water systems.
The project supports broader efforts towards water quality protection, environmental monitoring and sustainable water management, while strengthening the Faculty of Science’s research contributions in environmental and analytical chemistry.
This international grant achievement also reflects the growing recognition of UTM researchers and strengthens research engagement between Malaysia and Japan in addressing water and environmental challenges.
The Faculty of Science congratulates Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr. Aemi Syazwani Abdul Keyon on this achievement and wishes her every success in implementing the project.
Congratulations on this international research achievement!
#UTM #UTMScience #FacultyOfScience #UTMFSResearch #KWEF #KuritaFoundation #ResearchGrant #Nanoplastics #EnvironmentalChemistry #WaterQuality #Sustainability
