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The document discusses current and future technological innovations concerning air and water pollution. It summarizes technologies that have been implemented globally and locally to address air pollution like haze, as well as water pollution issues. For air, it discusses air ionizers and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation cleaners. For water, it outlines nanofiltration membranes and solar-powered toilets. It also analyzes the use of photocatalytic additives in construction to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Overall, the document analyzes existing and developing technologies tackling critical environmental problems of air and water pollution.

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TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS: Current Technological Innovation and Future Developments Concerning WATER and AIR. REFLECTIVE ESSAY TAYLOR¡¯S UNIVERSITY LECTURER: BLD60203 ¨C MR SIVA STUDENTS: DANIESH LAW YONG LIN YONG THANG SHAUN
Introduction ¡°The environment is everything that isn¡¯t me¡±, as quoted by the genius of the century, Albert Einstein means a lot to us now than it did decades ago. Who would have thought that an environmental related quote coming from a man such as himself could relate to so many of us as of today?. The air that we breathe in, the water that we drink and bathe ourselves with and the world that we live in. There is no doubt that the quote stays true to most of us when posed by one simple question; how much time left? How much time do we have left to undo our selfish conducts on mother earth? Futile as it may seem however, mankind has finally understood the negative impact done and has since begun to care more for the environment via technological means. It is important that we acknowledge our relationship with earth as being symbiotic. Harm done in the past by technology have now returned to haunt us and many generations to come and to avoid said conclusion, it is time to forgo trend as destiny and start making good use of our innovative and inventive abilities for the earth rather than our own selfish needs. Where do we begin and how do we begin? Air and water, both are the fundamental needs of humans. The pollution of both air and water has encouraged scientists to look for a solution to prevent man-kind from further harming our beloved environment that we so depend on. Several countries have taken initiatives in researching and developing groundbreaking technologies that aims to undo or minimalize harm inflicted upon water and air sources as such would result in a catastrophic and dystopic future for generations to come. Switzerland, The United States of America, Netherlands and Great Britain are one of the few leading countries that aims to tackle the issues we face with both air and water pollution. Locally however, while Malaysia does have a few measures taken in certain fields, it is still no-where near satisfactory in terms of technology. In this analytical essay, we will introduce a few technologies concerning air and water that have already been implemented either in a global or local scale. We will also introduce new technologies that are being developed and relate a few of them to the built environment along with cited analysis and our own critical analysis.
The 21st Century Globaland LocalIssue of Air and Water IMPACT OF AIR AND WATER POLLUTION ON POLITIC, SOCIAL AND ECONOMY. These three fields are all directly related as air pollution itself can cause a domino effect on all three fields. The most common air pollution is haze and it has plagued countries such as our own Malaysia, Kalimantan and Indonesia (Sumatra). A few examples would be the 1997, 2006 and 2013 Southeast Asia haze. THE 1997 SOUTHEAST ASIA HAZE The fires from Kalimantan and Sumatra had caused a severe haze within the Southeast Asia and cost an estimated total of USD $9 billion in fields like health care, travel and business. The lives of both the elderly and children were threatened as the countries experienced a soar in respiratory-related diseases such as asthma, a decrease in lung function and more severe cases. During its peak moment, the haze covered an area of more than 3,000,000 km2 (1,200,000 sq. mi) whereby Sumatra, Kalimantan, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand were all affected. This caused visibility problems causing roads to be a hazardous place to drive in. Furthermore, it also affected construction due to the severe haze that hinders vision which gravely affects the economy. More problems were caused by the haze as it happened again in 2006 and 2013 and even a few times between the timelines. Citizens have been full out affected by the issue at hand and have been exposed to the state of our current air. However, are they still not well informed to act out or is our country, Malaysia just staying dormant to the fact that the quality of our air has been declining? The technology advances and precautions taken for air however, is not as bad as water in Malaysia as we will shade some light on it next. Figure 9. Satellite imagery from NASA in 1997 ( 3 ) Figurer 10. Air Pollution Index ( 4 )
Images retrieved from: 2015. Web.4 June 2015. ( 3 ) WATER Water plays a vital part of our lives, as it is needed to sustain our lives. It is so important that water conflicts or war over water has been one of the major concerns of many countries especially in under-developed countries. Below are stunning information from the 2006 United Nations Human Development Report are: ? About 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water ? Some 1.8 million children die each year as a result of diarrhea ? 400 million children have no access to safe water. 1.4 million Children will die each year from lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Figure 17. In many third world countries, children have to retrieve water situated far from their homes which becomes their main day to day activity instead of studying. Images retrieved from : 3Rd World Country Children Retrieving Water. 2015. Web.4 June 2015. Water pollution and shortages caused many parties to fight amongst one another especially in Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Pakistan , Afghanistan, Yemen, Bangladesh, India and Iraq. The table below shows the water conflicts that happened between Ethiopia and Kenya: Table retrieved from : WaterConflict Between Kenya And Ethiopia.2015. Web.4 June 2015.
Looking at the local scale, according to the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia ( AWER ) : LOCAL PROBLEMS Water pollution problems in Malaysia has been growing exponentially. Many irresponsible companies dump waste into the rivers or lakes that acts as water source to nearby residents causing the termination of the water supply by the government thus placing users in a sorry state. Action must be taken to solve the water pollution because enhancing the filtration isn¡¯t a practical solution because the higher the technology is, very often the citizens have to pay more for that service and different chemical substances require different solutions to purify or filter them .According to National Water Services Commission (SPAN): From 2008 to 2014, the accumulated hours of water termination is 24 thousand. To put into perspective, roughly 1005 days. Water termination due to pollution has caused the loss of money to purify water and posting hygiene issues to the local community. The graph below shows the no. of rivers polluted in February 2014 and February 2015 Where and How to Begin ¨C Introducing Solutions To the World As humans, we always strive to gain the best out of what we can. This includes doing what we can in our power to improve the state of our environment which in this case refers to air and water. Currently, mankind have invented many technologies to cope with and overcome the ever growing problems and threats of water and air problems. Not only that, but scientist have also come out with ways to better the environment that we are living in by optimizing the use of water and air in our industry to cater to countries and citizens affected by poverty. Below shows a few of the technologies that have already been developed and are under development as of today .
CURRENT AND FUTURE AIR PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNOLOGY Air Ionizer : Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) Cleaners : Figure 1 . Air Ionizer Figure 2.. Ultraviolet Germinal (UVGI) Cleaners Image retrieved from : Elanra Medical NegativeION.2015. Web.4 June 2015. Images retrieved from : http://purgenix.com/solution/ FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS Above shows two technology made to overcome the air pollution problems the world is currently facing. Starting with the air ionizer, currently being use by people all around the world especially indoors whether it be homes or high rise office buildings. As we commonly observe nowadays, air ionizers are often installed within air-conditioning units as a means of improving air quality. Ionizers clear the air of dust, pollen, mold spores and other potential allergens. A good ionizer can significantly decrease airborne viruses and bacteria in your home, ideal for stopping the spread of dangerous influenzas. Generally, it works by applying high voltage to a needle. Then, the electrons, supplied by the internal circuit, are pushed down the needle towards a point. The nearer they get to the point, the closer they become forced together. This forces the electrons to repel one another causing the pressure overload and they "jump" off, onto the nearest air molecule, turning it into an ion.
Figure 3 .A simple diagram of an air ionizer. By adjusting the voltage level, the needle profile and the various materials used, this process can be made very efficient. Negative ions again repel each other, so they are driven from the needles as a gentle breeze, forming a dense "cloud" in front of the ionizer, which disperses in all directions into the room. Next would be the UVGI which is also known as a ultraviolet germicidal cleaner. This technology is still new and in its preliminary stage therefore is slowly being developed to be introduced into the world. This technology kills microorganisms by applying short wave length of UV-C also known as Ultraviolet C which is able to break the chemical bonds of the nucleic acids in the organisms present in the air therefore preventing them from performing cellular functions. In short, it works as a disinfectant machine. It is indeed effective in certain environments to circulate cleaner air and water. A fan is used to force air through the UV light and is then disinfected by the light. However certain steps of precaution are needed when dealing with this technology because the UV light can cause skin cancer and sunburn. Figure 4 shows the breakdown of where UVGI systems are being installed
Figure 5 . A more sophisticated diagram of how the ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI)cleaners Works. Image retrieved from: http://www.breathemoreeasily.com/hiw.html REFLECTION Evidently, we have shown the world has taken some measures to compete with the ever growing problems of air pollution by introducing new technology to its people. However, there are many drawbacks and problems that come along with it. Technology such as the air ionizer might be in reach by us but not to the less fortunate countries that are under developed and plagued by poverty. Even though it is easier to obtain by us, many citizens are still unaware of its existence and usage due to the lack of advertisement and awareness spread by parties that are in charge. The (API) Air Pollutant Index however has been kept under control in Malaysia which is commendable as shown below.
Figure 6 shows the API readings in Malaysia. Due to cases of open burning that contributes to the pollution of air in Malaysia, our country should immediately enforce tighter laws and regulations to deal with this situation. Regretfully however, the laws and policy adequacy of our country still lacks in expertise , resources and commitments according to (Wan Portiab Hamzab, 2011) .To achieve a better and healthier future for our country, this awareness will have to start in our government itself. CURRENT AND FUTURE WATER PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNOLOGY As we all know, 70 % of the earth is covered by water, not many is aware that only 2 % is available to be consumed. Water is easily polluted by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa), microorganisms, organic and inorganic solutes and metal ions. Currently, scientists have been working on ways to purify water as to satisfy public demands. Current ways to treat water are solar disinfection, chlorination, nanotechnology, sand filtration, boiling and many more. According to (Christopher Gasson, N.A), around 1% of the world¡¯s population are dependent on desalinated water to meet their daily needs, but by 2025, the UN expects 14% of the world¡¯s population to be encountering water scarcity. Unless people get radically better at water conservation, the desalination industry has a very strong future. According to (SciDev.Net, 2009), many innovations of nanotechnologies are either close to being launched or still under development. Below shows one out of many technology that has been introduced and another that is still under development. Nanofiltration: Solar-Powered Toilet: Figure 7. A nanofiltration diagram Figure 8. A Solar Powered Toilet diagram
FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS Figure 15 . Semipermeable membrane HOW DOES NANOFILTRATION WORK? 1. The contaminated water is poured into a container that has a semipermeable membrane. 2. Pressure is applied (usually around 0.3 ¨C 4.0MPa ) to the contaminated water pressuring the water to flow through to the membrane. 3. The membranes act as a physical barrier, capturing particles and microorganisms bigger than their pores, and selectively rejecting substances. Nanofiltration is already used in various industries such as food and dairy sector, Petroleum industry, edible oil processing sector, drug industry and water treatment. PUB, Singapore national¡¯s water agency, is an ideal example of using this technology to treat the wastewater into drinkable water. Its advantages being able to remove up 95% of heavy metal ions, reduces pathogen and black salts on top of being low cost outweighs its disadvantages which is mostly related to its membrane life time therefore requiring replacement from time to time. Next would be the Solar-Powered toilet that is still under development which shows a lot of promise. Caltech¡¯s solar fuel cell powered environmental toilet that is said to be self-sustainable and at the same time, contributes to the environment in a positive way. The Bill and Melinda gates foundation has issued a challenge to reinvent toilets due to the fact that 2.5 billion people around the globe are without access to sanitary toilet, which in turn, becomes the cause of disease spreading. The toilet has a planned lifetime of 20 years and isn¡¯t really extremely costly, even for countries with gradually developing economies. How this toilet works is extremely simple. Recycled water is pumped back up and used again and the toilet is completely self- contained, no sewer connection needed. REFLECTION
It is a known fact that Malaysia is one the few well off countries that has an abundance of water resources to the point that we sell water to other countries such as Singapore making gains of the money excavated from them with an increase in price throughout the times. Not only was this unethical, the abundance of water has also been taken for granted in Malaysia. Although true that water is a renewable source in the world, clean water is still heavily sought after in the whole world due to its declining amount caused by pollutions. Water catchment areas were erected however not properly taken care of. Many water catchment areas have been converted to plantations causing top soil to be exposed and transported downstream polluting the water (Prof Dr Zaki Zainudin, 2014). NEW MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY USED IN CONSTRCUTION TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION : Human¡¯s activities such as transportation, agriculture, burning of fossil fuel and water waste have been contributing a great amount of greenhouse problems to the environment. One of the very toxic gases we are emitting is nitrogen oxides (Nox ) The effects of (Nox) are traumatizing as it is 4 times more toxic than carbon monoxide, reduces growth of yield and 1 pound of its substance contains 300 times that of carbon dioxide. Figure 11. The Nitrous Oxide emission in United State in year 2013 Image retrieved from: http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html However, the emission of nitrogen oxides is not as great as carbon dioxide. Even in developed countries such as the United States only accounts around 5% of the total greenhouse emission
in the year 2013 but due to its dangerous impact, the reduction of such emission is needed. One way is through the implementation of photocatalytic additives or TiO2 in building materials. Due to the photochemical reaction of the TiO2, when it is exposed to the sunlight, it will break down NOx gases chemically. The NOx will either be oxidized and retained as nitrate species in the construction material or flushed from the concrete surface as a weak nitric acid. Figure 12 : Photocatalytic additives is breaking down the nitrogen oxides Images retrieved from : http://www.mapfre.com/fundacion/html/revistas/seguridad/n126/en/article2.html The downside however is that it comes with a high cost which might affect some companies decision in using them. Since the implementation of the additives is constrained by the economy, there are only a few buildings currently made out of TiO2-containing cement. Few examples would be the Jubilee Church, Dives in Misericordia, in Rome, Italy, and the public building Cit¨¦ de la Musique et des Beaux-Arts in Chamb¨¦ry, France. Figure 13. The Jubilee Church, Dives in Misericordia Image retrieved from : http://www.zodevdesign.com/gallery.php?&page=2
Conclusion It is very evident that the world of the 21st century is plagued by pollution, namely water and air pollution. As we are living on this earth, we should form a symbiotic relationship with it and not destroy and harm the only place we call home. Through the invention of various technologies, it is possible to make better the current environment that we live in. Be it the air or water , both can be neutralized and made better for the use of all people. It would of course take some time before we could see a change in trend when the poor could one day gain access to these technologies and the whole world living in a healthier environment. Zooming in to our country Malaysia however, we are lagging behind in terms of technology use. The lack of understanding and awareness of citizens to the current situation is dire and needs to be addressed as soon as possible through whichever means possible. It is true however while taking baby steps, Malaysia is taking actions and doing its part in ensuring the well-being of its citizen in terms of health. Hopefully in the near future, better actions will be taken and carried out to overcome this problems that are persisting as our country have big potential if proper measurements and steps are taken.
References 1. David, Grimshaw. 'Nanotechnology For Clean Water: Facts And Figures'. SciDev.Net. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 2. Dj, Clark. 'How Ionizers Work-The Ionizer Site'. Djclarke.co.uk. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 3. Dwb.unl.edu,. 'NITROGEN OXIDES (Nox)'. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 4. Epa.gov,. 'Nitrous Oxide Emissions | Climate Change | US EPA'. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 5. Fujitani, N. et al. 'Distribution Of H Type 1-4 Chains Of The ABO(H) System In Different Cell Types Of Human Respiratory Epithelium'. Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry 48.12 (2000): 1649-1655. Web. 6. Globalwaterintel.com,. 'Desalination Industry Enjoys Growth Spurt As Scarcity Starts To Bite: Global Water Intelligence'. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 7. Granados, L Sanchez. 'Seguridad Y Medio Ambiente - N126'. Mapfre.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 8. Helal, A.M. et al. 'A Tridiagonal Matrix Model For Multistage Flash Desalination Plants'. Computers & Chemical Engineering 10.4 (1986): 327-342. Web. 9. Idadesal.org,. 'Desalination By The Numbers | IDA'. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 10. Institution, Smithsonian. 'A Basic Overview Of Fuel Cell Technology'. Americanhistory.si.edu. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 11. Jennifer, Gray. 'Pollution From Construction'. Sustainablebuild.co.uk. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 12. Keith, Eric Grant. 'Breathing Fresh Air'. Massagetoday.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 13. Kowalski, W. J., W. P. Bahnfleth, and J. L. Rosenberger. 'Dimensional Analysis Of UVGI Air Disinfection Systems'. UHVC 9.3 (2003): 347-363. Web. 14. Ng, Chuck Chuang. 'WATER POLLUTION IN JURU RIVER, PENANG, MALAYSIA - Ambassador Report - Our Actions - Tunza Eco Generation'. Tunza.eco-generation.org. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 15. Pentasflora.com,. 'Pentas Flora | Water Pollution Problems'. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 16. 'Safcell To Generate Power For Caltech Solar Toilet Prototype'. Fuel Cells Bulletin 2014.1 (2014): 5-6. Web. 17. Smith, Joel B, and Carol Howe. Climate Change And Water. Denver, Colo.: American Water Works Association, 2009. Print. 18. Totalwellnessworldwide.com,. 'TWW: Negative Ions'. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. 19. Wwf.org.my,. 'Issues'. N.p., 2015. Web. 4 June 2015.

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Esd essay

  • 1. TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS: Current Technological Innovation and Future Developments Concerning WATER and AIR. REFLECTIVE ESSAY TAYLOR¡¯S UNIVERSITY LECTURER: BLD60203 ¨C MR SIVA STUDENTS: DANIESH LAW YONG LIN YONG THANG SHAUN
  • 2. Introduction ¡°The environment is everything that isn¡¯t me¡±, as quoted by the genius of the century, Albert Einstein means a lot to us now than it did decades ago. Who would have thought that an environmental related quote coming from a man such as himself could relate to so many of us as of today?. The air that we breathe in, the water that we drink and bathe ourselves with and the world that we live in. There is no doubt that the quote stays true to most of us when posed by one simple question; how much time left? How much time do we have left to undo our selfish conducts on mother earth? Futile as it may seem however, mankind has finally understood the negative impact done and has since begun to care more for the environment via technological means. It is important that we acknowledge our relationship with earth as being symbiotic. Harm done in the past by technology have now returned to haunt us and many generations to come and to avoid said conclusion, it is time to forgo trend as destiny and start making good use of our innovative and inventive abilities for the earth rather than our own selfish needs. Where do we begin and how do we begin? Air and water, both are the fundamental needs of humans. The pollution of both air and water has encouraged scientists to look for a solution to prevent man-kind from further harming our beloved environment that we so depend on. Several countries have taken initiatives in researching and developing groundbreaking technologies that aims to undo or minimalize harm inflicted upon water and air sources as such would result in a catastrophic and dystopic future for generations to come. Switzerland, The United States of America, Netherlands and Great Britain are one of the few leading countries that aims to tackle the issues we face with both air and water pollution. Locally however, while Malaysia does have a few measures taken in certain fields, it is still no-where near satisfactory in terms of technology. In this analytical essay, we will introduce a few technologies concerning air and water that have already been implemented either in a global or local scale. We will also introduce new technologies that are being developed and relate a few of them to the built environment along with cited analysis and our own critical analysis.
  • 3. The 21st Century Globaland LocalIssue of Air and Water IMPACT OF AIR AND WATER POLLUTION ON POLITIC, SOCIAL AND ECONOMY. These three fields are all directly related as air pollution itself can cause a domino effect on all three fields. The most common air pollution is haze and it has plagued countries such as our own Malaysia, Kalimantan and Indonesia (Sumatra). A few examples would be the 1997, 2006 and 2013 Southeast Asia haze. THE 1997 SOUTHEAST ASIA HAZE The fires from Kalimantan and Sumatra had caused a severe haze within the Southeast Asia and cost an estimated total of USD $9 billion in fields like health care, travel and business. The lives of both the elderly and children were threatened as the countries experienced a soar in respiratory-related diseases such as asthma, a decrease in lung function and more severe cases. During its peak moment, the haze covered an area of more than 3,000,000 km2 (1,200,000 sq. mi) whereby Sumatra, Kalimantan, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand were all affected. This caused visibility problems causing roads to be a hazardous place to drive in. Furthermore, it also affected construction due to the severe haze that hinders vision which gravely affects the economy. More problems were caused by the haze as it happened again in 2006 and 2013 and even a few times between the timelines. Citizens have been full out affected by the issue at hand and have been exposed to the state of our current air. However, are they still not well informed to act out or is our country, Malaysia just staying dormant to the fact that the quality of our air has been declining? The technology advances and precautions taken for air however, is not as bad as water in Malaysia as we will shade some light on it next. Figure 9. Satellite imagery from NASA in 1997 ( 3 ) Figurer 10. Air Pollution Index ( 4 )
  • 4. Images retrieved from: 2015. Web.4 June 2015. ( 3 ) WATER Water plays a vital part of our lives, as it is needed to sustain our lives. It is so important that water conflicts or war over water has been one of the major concerns of many countries especially in under-developed countries. Below are stunning information from the 2006 United Nations Human Development Report are: ? About 1.1 billion people in developing countries have inadequate access to water ? Some 1.8 million children die each year as a result of diarrhea ? 400 million children have no access to safe water. 1.4 million Children will die each year from lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Figure 17. In many third world countries, children have to retrieve water situated far from their homes which becomes their main day to day activity instead of studying. Images retrieved from : 3Rd World Country Children Retrieving Water. 2015. Web.4 June 2015. Water pollution and shortages caused many parties to fight amongst one another especially in Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Pakistan , Afghanistan, Yemen, Bangladesh, India and Iraq. The table below shows the water conflicts that happened between Ethiopia and Kenya: Table retrieved from : WaterConflict Between Kenya And Ethiopia.2015. Web.4 June 2015.
  • 5. Looking at the local scale, according to the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia ( AWER ) : LOCAL PROBLEMS Water pollution problems in Malaysia has been growing exponentially. Many irresponsible companies dump waste into the rivers or lakes that acts as water source to nearby residents causing the termination of the water supply by the government thus placing users in a sorry state. Action must be taken to solve the water pollution because enhancing the filtration isn¡¯t a practical solution because the higher the technology is, very often the citizens have to pay more for that service and different chemical substances require different solutions to purify or filter them .According to National Water Services Commission (SPAN): From 2008 to 2014, the accumulated hours of water termination is 24 thousand. To put into perspective, roughly 1005 days. Water termination due to pollution has caused the loss of money to purify water and posting hygiene issues to the local community. The graph below shows the no. of rivers polluted in February 2014 and February 2015 Where and How to Begin ¨C Introducing Solutions To the World As humans, we always strive to gain the best out of what we can. This includes doing what we can in our power to improve the state of our environment which in this case refers to air and water. Currently, mankind have invented many technologies to cope with and overcome the ever growing problems and threats of water and air problems. Not only that, but scientist have also come out with ways to better the environment that we are living in by optimizing the use of water and air in our industry to cater to countries and citizens affected by poverty. Below shows a few of the technologies that have already been developed and are under development as of today .
  • 6. CURRENT AND FUTURE AIR PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNOLOGY Air Ionizer : Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) Cleaners : Figure 1 . Air Ionizer Figure 2.. Ultraviolet Germinal (UVGI) Cleaners Image retrieved from : Elanra Medical NegativeION.2015. Web.4 June 2015. Images retrieved from : http://purgenix.com/solution/ FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS Above shows two technology made to overcome the air pollution problems the world is currently facing. Starting with the air ionizer, currently being use by people all around the world especially indoors whether it be homes or high rise office buildings. As we commonly observe nowadays, air ionizers are often installed within air-conditioning units as a means of improving air quality. Ionizers clear the air of dust, pollen, mold spores and other potential allergens. A good ionizer can significantly decrease airborne viruses and bacteria in your home, ideal for stopping the spread of dangerous influenzas. Generally, it works by applying high voltage to a needle. Then, the electrons, supplied by the internal circuit, are pushed down the needle towards a point. The nearer they get to the point, the closer they become forced together. This forces the electrons to repel one another causing the pressure overload and they "jump" off, onto the nearest air molecule, turning it into an ion.
  • 7. Figure 3 .A simple diagram of an air ionizer. By adjusting the voltage level, the needle profile and the various materials used, this process can be made very efficient. Negative ions again repel each other, so they are driven from the needles as a gentle breeze, forming a dense "cloud" in front of the ionizer, which disperses in all directions into the room. Next would be the UVGI which is also known as a ultraviolet germicidal cleaner. This technology is still new and in its preliminary stage therefore is slowly being developed to be introduced into the world. This technology kills microorganisms by applying short wave length of UV-C also known as Ultraviolet C which is able to break the chemical bonds of the nucleic acids in the organisms present in the air therefore preventing them from performing cellular functions. In short, it works as a disinfectant machine. It is indeed effective in certain environments to circulate cleaner air and water. A fan is used to force air through the UV light and is then disinfected by the light. However certain steps of precaution are needed when dealing with this technology because the UV light can cause skin cancer and sunburn. Figure 4 shows the breakdown of where UVGI systems are being installed
  • 8. Figure 5 . A more sophisticated diagram of how the ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI)cleaners Works. Image retrieved from: http://www.breathemoreeasily.com/hiw.html REFLECTION Evidently, we have shown the world has taken some measures to compete with the ever growing problems of air pollution by introducing new technology to its people. However, there are many drawbacks and problems that come along with it. Technology such as the air ionizer might be in reach by us but not to the less fortunate countries that are under developed and plagued by poverty. Even though it is easier to obtain by us, many citizens are still unaware of its existence and usage due to the lack of advertisement and awareness spread by parties that are in charge. The (API) Air Pollutant Index however has been kept under control in Malaysia which is commendable as shown below.
  • 9. Figure 6 shows the API readings in Malaysia. Due to cases of open burning that contributes to the pollution of air in Malaysia, our country should immediately enforce tighter laws and regulations to deal with this situation. Regretfully however, the laws and policy adequacy of our country still lacks in expertise , resources and commitments according to (Wan Portiab Hamzab, 2011) .To achieve a better and healthier future for our country, this awareness will have to start in our government itself. CURRENT AND FUTURE WATER PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNOLOGY As we all know, 70 % of the earth is covered by water, not many is aware that only 2 % is available to be consumed. Water is easily polluted by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa), microorganisms, organic and inorganic solutes and metal ions. Currently, scientists have been working on ways to purify water as to satisfy public demands. Current ways to treat water are solar disinfection, chlorination, nanotechnology, sand filtration, boiling and many more. According to (Christopher Gasson, N.A), around 1% of the world¡¯s population are dependent on desalinated water to meet their daily needs, but by 2025, the UN expects 14% of the world¡¯s population to be encountering water scarcity. Unless people get radically better at water conservation, the desalination industry has a very strong future. According to (SciDev.Net, 2009), many innovations of nanotechnologies are either close to being launched or still under development. Below shows one out of many technology that has been introduced and another that is still under development. Nanofiltration: Solar-Powered Toilet: Figure 7. A nanofiltration diagram Figure 8. A Solar Powered Toilet diagram
  • 10. FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS Figure 15 . Semipermeable membrane HOW DOES NANOFILTRATION WORK? 1. The contaminated water is poured into a container that has a semipermeable membrane. 2. Pressure is applied (usually around 0.3 ¨C 4.0MPa ) to the contaminated water pressuring the water to flow through to the membrane. 3. The membranes act as a physical barrier, capturing particles and microorganisms bigger than their pores, and selectively rejecting substances. Nanofiltration is already used in various industries such as food and dairy sector, Petroleum industry, edible oil processing sector, drug industry and water treatment. PUB, Singapore national¡¯s water agency, is an ideal example of using this technology to treat the wastewater into drinkable water. Its advantages being able to remove up 95% of heavy metal ions, reduces pathogen and black salts on top of being low cost outweighs its disadvantages which is mostly related to its membrane life time therefore requiring replacement from time to time. Next would be the Solar-Powered toilet that is still under development which shows a lot of promise. Caltech¡¯s solar fuel cell powered environmental toilet that is said to be self-sustainable and at the same time, contributes to the environment in a positive way. The Bill and Melinda gates foundation has issued a challenge to reinvent toilets due to the fact that 2.5 billion people around the globe are without access to sanitary toilet, which in turn, becomes the cause of disease spreading. The toilet has a planned lifetime of 20 years and isn¡¯t really extremely costly, even for countries with gradually developing economies. How this toilet works is extremely simple. Recycled water is pumped back up and used again and the toilet is completely self- contained, no sewer connection needed. REFLECTION
  • 11. It is a known fact that Malaysia is one the few well off countries that has an abundance of water resources to the point that we sell water to other countries such as Singapore making gains of the money excavated from them with an increase in price throughout the times. Not only was this unethical, the abundance of water has also been taken for granted in Malaysia. Although true that water is a renewable source in the world, clean water is still heavily sought after in the whole world due to its declining amount caused by pollutions. Water catchment areas were erected however not properly taken care of. Many water catchment areas have been converted to plantations causing top soil to be exposed and transported downstream polluting the water (Prof Dr Zaki Zainudin, 2014). NEW MATERIAL AND TECHNOLOGY USED IN CONSTRCUTION TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION : Human¡¯s activities such as transportation, agriculture, burning of fossil fuel and water waste have been contributing a great amount of greenhouse problems to the environment. One of the very toxic gases we are emitting is nitrogen oxides (Nox ) The effects of (Nox) are traumatizing as it is 4 times more toxic than carbon monoxide, reduces growth of yield and 1 pound of its substance contains 300 times that of carbon dioxide. Figure 11. The Nitrous Oxide emission in United State in year 2013 Image retrieved from: http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html However, the emission of nitrogen oxides is not as great as carbon dioxide. Even in developed countries such as the United States only accounts around 5% of the total greenhouse emission
  • 12. in the year 2013 but due to its dangerous impact, the reduction of such emission is needed. One way is through the implementation of photocatalytic additives or TiO2 in building materials. Due to the photochemical reaction of the TiO2, when it is exposed to the sunlight, it will break down NOx gases chemically. The NOx will either be oxidized and retained as nitrate species in the construction material or flushed from the concrete surface as a weak nitric acid. Figure 12 : Photocatalytic additives is breaking down the nitrogen oxides Images retrieved from : http://www.mapfre.com/fundacion/html/revistas/seguridad/n126/en/article2.html The downside however is that it comes with a high cost which might affect some companies decision in using them. Since the implementation of the additives is constrained by the economy, there are only a few buildings currently made out of TiO2-containing cement. Few examples would be the Jubilee Church, Dives in Misericordia, in Rome, Italy, and the public building Cit¨¦ de la Musique et des Beaux-Arts in Chamb¨¦ry, France. Figure 13. The Jubilee Church, Dives in Misericordia Image retrieved from : http://www.zodevdesign.com/gallery.php?&page=2
  • 13. Conclusion It is very evident that the world of the 21st century is plagued by pollution, namely water and air pollution. As we are living on this earth, we should form a symbiotic relationship with it and not destroy and harm the only place we call home. Through the invention of various technologies, it is possible to make better the current environment that we live in. Be it the air or water , both can be neutralized and made better for the use of all people. It would of course take some time before we could see a change in trend when the poor could one day gain access to these technologies and the whole world living in a healthier environment. Zooming in to our country Malaysia however, we are lagging behind in terms of technology use. The lack of understanding and awareness of citizens to the current situation is dire and needs to be addressed as soon as possible through whichever means possible. It is true however while taking baby steps, Malaysia is taking actions and doing its part in ensuring the well-being of its citizen in terms of health. Hopefully in the near future, better actions will be taken and carried out to overcome this problems that are persisting as our country have big potential if proper measurements and steps are taken.
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