Comparison Of Boron Presence In The Bleached Cigarette Stubs Waste

Abstract

The high prevalence of smoking in Malaysia, particularly among men and adolescents, poses environmental concerns due to the toxic
residues in cigarette stubs, including hazardous elements like boron or boric acid, which persist in the environment for extended periods. Therefore, this element could affect the water source and soil, eventually affecting human health. In order to reduce the effect of this element, bleaching process is recommended. Sodium hypochlorite (10%) with ratio 1:2 (sodium: water) was used in bleaching process with sample preparation, followed by analysis using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX). FTIR analysis showed that the peaks are nearly similar for all four types of sample data those taken 1 hours and 30 minutes post-bleaching, 2 hours 30 minutes post-bleaching, as well as those taken 3 hours 30 minutes post-bleaching and from already used or smoked materials, and no significant differences were observed, in contrast to what was seen in the EDX analysis. The provided data from EDX indicated that the percentage of boron decreased from 42.3% to 20.6%for sample 2 hours 30 minutes postbleaching and 3 hours 30 minutes post-bleaching. The research on the chemical composition of cigarette stub waste, particularly focusing on boron, is of great significance due to its potential impact on the environment and human health. The study investigated the concentration levels of boron in cigarette stub waste, which could help in developing better waste management strategies to protect the environment.