New Technology Reduces Water Consumption ----->>Joanne Tan

NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR PROCESS WATER TREATMTENT

Better effluent treatment plants will deliver our biggest improvements in water reduction through opportunities to reuse treated process waste water.

NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR COOLING TOWER OPERATION

We have been piloting new technology in our cooling towers to help us reduce the amount of water and chemicals we use. 

RAINWATER HARVESTING

Manufacturing sites in Malaysia provide many good examples of how rainwater is used for factory utilities such as cooling towers, boilers, manufacturing processes  and toilet flushing.

WATER REUSE IN THE AMERICAS

The process cooling water that was formerly discharged as effluent is now collected and treated with a carbon filter. The water is then reused, saving around 5% of total water use.

HOPE YOU ALL LIKE THIS :)

http://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/water/reducingwateruseinmanufacturing/index.aspx

Lynas truth.

It tells us the rare earth and how to save the earth.

BY:YUJIAN

This step-by-step video shows how the women of Njau, Gambia recycle plastic bags into beautiful purses - and you can learn! Isatou Ceesay, narrator, is also the project manager for NRIGG, the Njau Recycling and Income Generating Group in The Gambia, West Africa.

By: Jeremy :)

Noise pollution is a form of environmental pollution that may be the most dangerous to human health and the most widespread and common. However, it is overlooked and the affects it has on our health are underestimated because this form of pollution has no taste, color, or smell. 

The source of this pollution includes the modern and high-tech sound and electronic equipments.

To clarify, noise pollution is defined as displeasing and unwanted sound released into the environment which can be harmful to the ear and to overall health. The danger of noise pollution lies in the fact that we are involuntarily exposed to it and sometimes without even realizing. 

The ear constantly picks up and receives sounds, even when we are asleep, unlike the eyes which we can shut when we do not want to see something undesirable.

Any loud sound or excessive, sudden, and unpleasant noise stresses the human body. Noise causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate. These adverse effects are temporary and as soon as the noise ceases, blood pressure and heart rate return to normal. 

Unfortunately, urban life has created an environment that continuously surrounds us with noise, which means that the body’s reaction is prolonged. Sound is measured in the units of decibels and is denoted by dB. The level of noise must be below 25 dB in order for us to be able to sleep and rest. Whispering produces sound at between 20 and 30 dB whereas normal conversation is at around 60 dB. 

The sound from traffic congestion on the road is measured to be 70 dB, equal to the sound of the vacuum cleaner at home. 

The hair dryer is even higher on the scale; 90 dB. We are unable to mentally concentrate and focus if the sounds surrounding us are higher than 65 dB. Sounds that reach over 85 dB can lead to serious health problems, keeping in mind that train or metro stations and motorcycles give off sounds at 100 dB and airplanes up to 120 dB.

In our current lifestyles, noise pollution follows us wherever we go; in the street, public places such as restaurants, cafés, shopping centers, all means of transportation, in addition to construction machines which are notorious for producing harmfully loud sounds. 

At home, not much respite can be found because the electrical appliances, such as the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and air conditioning units also produce noise pollution, even when we are sleeping.

The affects of noise pollution are largely ignored and the root of the problem is that noise and sounds are so widespread. 

Most people are unaware that prolonged exposure to loud sounds can result in tinnitus (ringing in the ear), permanent damage to tissues in the inner ear, and hearing loss. In Europe, 60 percent of the youth are at risk of hearing loss.

The US National Institute of Health warned that prolonged and recurrent exposure to sounds over 85 dB can lead to hearing loss. 

As for the negative impact of noise pollution on our health, it adversely affects the heart and blood vessels.
 
The body views any loud and disturbing sound which lasts for more than three seconds as a threat. 

The body’s automated response includes shrinking of the arteries and a release of the hormones adrenalin and cortisol to deal with the perceived assault.

These hormones trigger a cascade of responses in the body causing irritability, anxiety, mood swings, headaches, poor concentration, insomnia, depression, and memory loss. 

Studies found that 20 percent of the psychiatric patients in France are victims of the disturbances created by noise pollution.

The irritability, mood swings, poor concentration, and memory loss caused by noise pollution no doubt interfere with productivity and performance at work. One company that installed efficient sound insulation in the walls of the employees' offices noticed a 25 percent reduction in calculation and accounting errors and a 27 percent reduction in typing errors made by employees.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported studies that showed that chronic exposure to noise pollution at a level over 70 dB was correlated with increased blood pressure, heart disease, and even heart attacks.

The digestive system is also affected by noise pollution and some conditions may worsen such as stomach and intestinal ulcers, spastic colon, and irritable bowel syndrome. 

Noise pollution also weakens the immune system, making us more prone to catching infections, contagious diseases, and cancer.

The WHO confirmed that noise pollution in the school and home hinders the learning ability among children. Several studies found that students who live near airports achieved lower scores at school in reading and linguistic abilities than those who did not live near airports.
 
Over time, children who live in areas with high noise pollution suffer from poor concentration, inexplicable fluctuations in mood, fatigue, poor academic performance, aggressiveness, and they exhibit a lack of cooperation and teamwork.

What are the solutions?

At the government level, better city planning is needed such as surrounding residential areas with parks and greenery because trees are good absorbers of unwanted sound. 

Schools and hospitals should be built far away from the sources of noise pollution, namely airports, train stations, and busy and crowded freeways. Strict laws should be in place to penalize motorists for unnecessarily honking the horns of their cars, especially at night. 

Airports should be kept at a safe, far distance from the city.

As for families and individuals, each person must take care to choose a suitable location for their house, far away from loud noises and can install good insulators and double-glaze windows to keep sounds out. Control the volume of the television and never leave it on when none is watching or listening.

Make sure that the studying areas of children are in calm, quiet rooms of the home, at a good distance from loud areas such as the kitchen or family room.

Educate your family about the negative effects of noise pollution on health. Allocate a time of the day for some seclusion in stillness and quiet so that the body can regain its inner balance and restore its normal functions.

~By SeeHx :D

I have come across an environmentally friendly item that is made of by recycled paper ,it is and good video ,and it show use how it actually our toilet paper is made.

 BY @@S.K

STOP LYNAS!!!

 An estimated 20,000 citizens together with Malaysian civil society organisations converged in Kuantan for a rally to protest against the Lynas project and to demand for a clean and safe future for Malaysia.  The Stop Lynas campaign has escalated into the biggest ever environmental issue for the country.  Participants arrived from all over the country including the east Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.      

The following website will bring you to the presentation of [360 View Of Lynas] :   

  http://prezi.com/mq0pi-wwm7z_/causes-and-effects-of-lynas/#           
   

Please check this website out because its presentation was really AWESOME!! :)      

By IGN                           

Hospital Wastes

Hospital wastes, also known as medical waste is all waste materials generated at health care facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, physician's offices, dental practices, blood banks, and veterinary hospitals/clinics, as well as medical research facilities and laboratories.

Health-care activities, protect and restore health and save lives. But what about the wastes and by-products they generate? Of the total amount of waste generated by health-care activities, about 80% is general waste comparable to domestic waste. The remaining 20% is considered hazardous material that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive.

Types of waste:
Infectious waste: Waste contaminated with blood and its by-products, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, waste from patients in isolation wards, discarded diagnostic samples containing blood and body fluids, infected animals from laboratories, and contaminated materials (swabs, bandages) and equipment (such as disposable medical devices).

Pathological waste: Recognizable body parts and contaminated animal carcasses.

Sharps: Syringes, needles, disposable scalpels and blades, etc.

Chemicals: For example mercury, solvents and disinfectants.

Pharmaceuticals: Expired, unused, and contaminated drugs; vaccines and sera.

Genotoxic waste: Highly hazardous, mutagenic, teratogenic1 or carcinogenic, such as cytotoxic drugs used in cancer treatment and their metabolites.

Radioactive waste: Such as glassware contaminated with radioactive diagnostic material or radiotherapeutic materials.

Heavy metals waste: Such as broken mercury thermometers.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs253/en/

-Adrian Wong

11 FACTS ABOUT POLLUTION by Eric

POLLUTANTS RELEASED FROM INDUSTRIES

1. 1.Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people. That’s comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV.
2. 2.Over 1 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. 5,000 people die each day due to dirty drinking water.
3. 3.14 billion pounds of garbage are dumped into the ocean every year. Most of it is plastic.
4. 4.Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year.
5. 5.People who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a 20% higher risk of death from lung cancer than people who live in less-polluted areas. 
6. 6.The Mississippi River carries an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution into the Gulf of Mexico each year, creating a “dead zone” in the Gulf each summer about the size of New Jersey.
7. 7.Approximately 46% of the lakes in America are too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, or swimming.
8. 8.Americans make up an estimated 5% of the world’s population. However, the U.S. produces an estimated 30% of the world’s waste and uses 25% of the world’s resources.
9. 9.Each year 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewage, stormwater, and industrial waste are dumped into U.S. water.
10. 10.While children only make up 10% of the world’s population, over 40% of the global burden of disease falls on them. More than 3 million children under age five die annually from environmental factors.
11. 11.Recycling and composting prevented 85 million tons of material away from being disposed of in 2010, up from 18 million tons in 1980.

22 ways to prevent pollution

Previously, we've shared about many kinds of pollution. Now, I'm going to share about how to prevent pollution.

1.Try to persuade families to only have one car.

2.Throw trash in the proper places.

3.Reduce, reuse, and recycle things in your house. 

4.Dispose of chemicals properly.

5.Avoid things like painting near bodies of water.

6.Use environmentally friendly cleaning products.

7.Use environmentally friendly pesticides.

8.Keep your car in good shape to avoid leaking fluids into the ground.

9.Keep boats in good condition to avoid leaking fluids into the water.

10.Don't throw cigarette butts on the ground.

11.Walk or ride a bicycle.

12.Ride public transit.

13.Paint with a brush, not a sprayer.

14.Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

15.Use a fan instead of air conditioning.

16.Print and photocopy on both sides of the paper.

17.Choose recycled products.

18.Choose products with recyclable packaging.

19.Reuse paper bags.

20.Recycle paper, plastics, and metals.

21.Check with your utility company for energy conservation tips, like purchasing energy saving appliances.

22.Use a thermostat that automatically turns off the air conditioner or heater when you don't need them. 

 By-Bigbang VIP Janice :) 

Environmental Problem :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW7fxGG9cEM

This video teaches the way how to save our MOTHER EARTH .... OUR MOTHER is crying for help....If a people do a little..the world + together is a lot !!

WATCH IT'S FUNNY TOO :)

BY:Panda ZO

As we are studying noise pollution , i am gonna share some information about it !

Noise health effects are the health consequences of elevated sound levels. Elevated workplace or other noise can cause hearing impairment,hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance, and sleep disturbance. Changes in the immune system and birth defects have been attributed to noise exposure.

Although some presbycusis may occur naturally with age, in many developed nations the cumulative impact of noise is sufficient to impair the hearing of a large fraction of the population over the course of a lifetime. Noise exposure also has been known to induce tinnitus, hypertension, vasoconstriction, and other cardiovascular adverse effects.

Beyond these effects, elevated noise levels can create stress, increase workplace accident rates, as well as stimulating aggression and other anti-social behaviors. The most significant causes are vehicle and aircraft noise, prolonged exposure to loud music, and industrial noise. In Norway, road traffic has been demonstrated to cause almost 80% of the noise annoyances reported.

There may be psychological definitions of noise as well. Firecrackers may upset domestic and wild animals or noise-traumatized individuals. The most common noise-traumatized persons are those exposed to military conflicts, but often loud groups of people can trigger complaints and other behaviors about noise. Infants are easily startled by noise.

The social costs of traffic noise in EU22 are more than €40 billion per year, and passenger cars and lorries (trucks) are responsible for bulk of costs.Traffic noise alone is harming the health of almost every third person in the WHO European Region. One in five Europeans is regularly exposed to sound levels at night that could significantly damage health.

Noise also is a threat to marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

I have to share it earlier because I am away in the date I am sharing . So here is an interesting website with pictures that shows and explains noise pollution. By: Emily

http://app.mewr.gov.sg/web/contents/Contents.aspx?ContId=1699

So please stop hurting our planet ;(

Air Pollution Now Threatening Health Worldwide

Humanity is losing the battle for clean air. Despite decades of efforts to combat it, air pollution is taking a growing toll on human health, the environment, and the economy, according to a new Worldwatch Institute study.

Once primarily an urban phenomenon in industrial countries, air pollution has spread worldwide. More than a billion people--one-fifth of all humanity--live in communities that do not meet World Health Organization air quality standards.

In greater Athens, the number of deaths rises sixfold on heavily polluted days. Mexico City has been declared a hardship post for diplomats because of its unhealthy air. In Bombay, simply breathing is equivalent to smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day.

"The technological solutions tried to date have been inadequate, their gains often negated by growth," according to Hilary F. French, a Researcher at the Washington, D.C.-based organization and author of Clearing the Air: A Global Agenda. "Restoring air quality depends on restructuring the energy, transportation, and industrial systems that generate the pollutants."

In the U.S., air pollution causes as many as 50,000 deaths per year and costs as much as $40 billion a year in health care and lost productivity.

Around the world, Milan, Shenyang, Tehran, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro reported the worst levels of sulfur dioxide--a pollutant directly harmful to humans. Paris and Madrid also made the top 10 in the list, produced by a U.N. monitoring network.

Global Killer - Pollution

By Yujian

Pollution

In class,we are talking about ''Pollution'' in class recently.Land pollution,water pollution and air pollution,and there is a solution to it.

The world's tropical forests contain huge quantities of carbon dioxide,a greenhouse gas that causes climate change.When they are destroyed for farmland or other purposes,they release their carbon prematurely and in quantities greater than all world's cars,trucks and planes combined.The result is changing rainfall patterns,rising ocean levels and increased drought.Tropical forests are also home to most world's threatened species,many found nowhere else.

One of the quickest and most co-effective ways to reduce global carbon emissions is to conserve tropical forests.And when we do,we also:-

• Protect the natural habitat of many threatened and endangered species.

• Preserve the livelihood and incomes of local communities.

• Curb climate changes.

Over the past three years Conversation International,in conjuction with our partners,has conserved 143 millions acres of tropical forest - equivalent to talking 10 million cars off the road.

By ~ SeeHx