An essay on environmental sustainable design

1. TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS:
Current Technological Innovation and
Future Developments Concerning WATER
and AIR.
REFLECTIVE ESSAY
TAYLOR’S UNIVERSITY
LECTURER: BLD60203 – MR SIVA
STUDENTS:
DANIESH ASHIK a/l SELVESWARA -0315265
LAW YONG LIN -0320516
YONG THANG SHAUN -0320675

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 )Images
retrieved from: 2015. Web. 4 June 2015. ( 3 )

4. 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 ) :

5. 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 – 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 : UVGITechnology.2015. Web.4 June 2015.
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 DiagramOf An Air Ionizer..2015. Web. 4 June 2015.

7. 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 MoreSophisticated DiagramOf How The UltravioletGermicidal Irradiation (UVGI)Cleaners
Works.2015. Web.4 June 2015..

8. 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 APIReadingsIn Malaysia..2015. Web.4 June 2015.
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

9. 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 SolarPowered Toilet Diagram.2015. Web.
4 June 2015.
FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS
Figure 15 . Semipermeable membrane
HOW DOES NANOFILTRATION WORK?

10. 1. The contaminated water is poured into a container that has a semipermeable
membrane.
2. Pressure is applied (usually around 0.3 – 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).

11. 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 NitrousOxideEmission In United State In Year 2013. 2015. Web.4 June 2015.
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.

12. Figure
12 : PhotocatalyticAdditivesIsBreaking Down TheNitrogen Oxides.2015. Web.4 June 2015.
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 Cité de la Musique et des Beaux-Arts in Chambéry, France.
Figure 13. The Jubilee Church,DivesIn Misericordia.2015. Web.4 June 2015.

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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