Thursday, 3 December 2015
TEAM BELD: Proposal for Improvement of Train Breakdown Travel Contingency Plans
The follow post contains content extracted from a proposal project which written in a group. The other group members consist of Eunice Siow, Darrell Lin and Benjamin Heng.
__________________________________________________________________________
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land)
Singapore Institute of Technology
10 Dover Drive
Singapore 138683
20 October 2015
CHEW Men Leong
Chief Executive
Land Transport Authority
1 Hampshire Road
Singapore 219428
Dear Mr Chew,
Re: Proposal for Improvement of Train breakdown Contingency plans
Enclosed for your kind consideration is the following proposal for the improvement of train breakdown contingency plans in Singapore. This report has been prepared with the intention of establishing a system to address the affected commuters’ needs during a train breakdown.
The report consists of the rationale behind the proposed solutions, along with a detailed summary of all related primary and secondary research. As public commuters ourselves, we have provided information on the flaws of the current contingency plans and an analysis on how the relevant agencies might improve on them.
We would like to express our gratitude to you for taking the time to read through our proposal. Your consideration to our suggestions in making public commute a more pleasant journey is greatly appreciated.
Yours Sincerely,
Darrell Lin (Team Representative)
TEAM BELD: Proposal for Improvement of Train Breakdown Travel Contingency Plans
The follow post contains content extracted from a proposal project which written in a group. The other group members consist of Eunice Siow, Darrell Lin and Benjamin Heng.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary
According to LTA, more than 2.5 million people use the MRT daily in Singapore to get to their destinations. Over the past few years, train breakdowns have increased significantly. Our group has come to an agreement that from the commuters’ perspective, train breakdowns are highly probable due to the increasing population growth in Singapore which leads to a higher usage of the public transport. Our group is keen in looking into the current travel contingency plans that the various agencies have implemented, to improve on them so as to give commuters a better commuting experience. The current travel contingency plans have room for improvement. Our team conducted a survey, targeted at commuters of different age groups, to find out if they are satisfied with the current travel contingency plans. The survey results has shown that commuters are displeased with the travel contingency plans in place. It has also shown that commuters are unaware of the current travel contingency plans. The thrust of this proposal is to suggest the implementation of new bus routes that follow the train routes and also implementing bicycles rentals at MRT stations. These solutions aim to aid in crowd control, provide alternative transport means, and get commuters to their destinations in the event of a train breakdown.
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
TEAM BELD: Proposal for Improvement of Train Breakdown Travel Contingency Plans
The follow post contains content extracted from a proposal project which written in a group. The other group members consist of Eunice Siow, Darrell Lin and Benjamin Heng.
__________________________________________________________________________
Personal Statement
As a student who relies heavily on public transport and commutes to school via train every day, I have encountered train disruptions several times. It is understandable that disruptions due to the wear and tear of the railway parts are unavoidable as the trains have been running more frequent services in the recent years. This project will allow me to suggest new strategies and improvements to the current travel contingency plans from the commuters’ perspective.
Sunday, 29 November 2015
Reader's Response (Draft 4)
In the article
"Pharmaceutical Disposal", Burch (2015) discussed the rising concern
of water pollution in United States due to the improper ways of drug disposal.
In addition, Burch also mentioned the act of "flushing unwanted or unused
medications" as a factor due to common practices and absence of drug
filtration in "wastewater treatment plants". Although the effect on
humans is unclear, the negative effect on "fish and aquatic life" has
been proven. However, the severity of the issue is still uncertain due to the
lack of regulations and/or policies in place. The author states that the
problem of “flushing drugs” might be resolved by providing "access to safe
and convenient pharmaceutical disposal options".
I agree with the author
that improper disposal of pharmaceutical products is indeed a rising concern as
a factor of water contamination. However, the author focused on it as a key
issue and did not explore other contributing factors. I believe that there are
contaminants from other sources which would require more recognition.
It is certainly true that
improper disposal of pharmaceutical products is one of the factors contributing
to water contamination, even in drinking supplies. However, the article
only considered "pharmaceutical disposal" by public and healthcare
facilities. It did not include those of industrial waste even though a
significant amount of waste enters the Great Lakes daily. For example,
Bienkowski and Environmental Health News (2013) reported that "More than
1,400 wastewater treatment plants in the United States and Canada discharge 4.8
billion gallons of treated effluent into the Great Lakes basin every day"
when they discussed about the findings of a study conducted by the
International Joint Commission. In addition to the figures reported, the
drug content from the waste will also accumulate in the water over time.
Therefore, there is a need to recognize industrial waste as one of the
contributing factors of water contamination.
In the article, adverse
effects on the aquatic life were also mentioned. According to Shah (2010),
toxicity research on wildlife is generally studied on aquatic species. However,
I feel that we should also explore the chain effect in the other areas. There
are no proper definitions as to which type of species or organisms in the
ecosystem would provide an accurate representation of wildlife, since all of
them have different behaviour patterns, anatomy etc. As mentioned by Kidd et
al. (2014), "small-scale studies focusing solely on direct effects are
likely to underestimate the true environmental impacts". Even though the
negative effects on the aquatic life are proven, I feel that it should only
serve as an indicator and reference while we continue to research the effects
on the ecosystem. The sole inclusion of the impact on aquatic life with no
elaboration does not reflect the severity and extent of the effects and does
not inform the community of it.
In the article, Burch
also mentioned that "a critical part of the solution is to STOP flushing
drugs" because it is a "highly prevalent and preventable source of
pharmaceutical pollution." There is no doubt that it is a valid point.
However, the proposed solution failed to consider involuntary factors such as
pollution due to excretion and usage of personal care products. Medicines taken
are not always metabolized fully and are usually excreted out of the human
body. In addition, topical medications and care products applied are also
introduced into the waste through bathing. Daughton and Ruhoy (2013) also
mentioned that "excretion via urine and fecal material" is the main
contributor of "Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)"
contamination found in the environment. Perhaps it would be more effective to
advisce pharmacists, and other relevant medical positions, on the reduction or
optimal prescribing of medicines to patients instead. There would be lesser
residual medications being excreted, which would then serve as a plausible
solution in reducing contamination via the involuntary secondary route. In addition,
an alternative solution would be to research on ways to improve our current
infrastructure. For example, researching on systems which will allow
wastewater treatment plants to remove unwanted pharmaceutical impurities, or
methods which will simplify the manufacturing process.
Legislation was mentioned
as a counter measure in the article. It is worth noting that even though the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates water pollutants
with The Clean Water Act (CWA), the list does not include medicinal products
(Cuevas, 2011). Perhaps improvements should be made to the regulation. Even
though pharmaceutical products serve as a remedy to illness, they can also
become an undesired toxin. In comparison to United States, there is stricter
control in Singapore. Pollution control is regulated under the authority of the
National Environmental Agency (NEA). Different factors are considered and
cross-referenced as a whole, for example, the control of soil pollution is
considered with the regulation of water pollution. In addition, NEA considers
pharmaceutical and pathogenic wastes under their "list of toxic industrial
wastes", along with many others.
In general, this article
served well as a general introduction to water pollution by pharmaceutical
factors. It included the main idea of contamination due to direct disposal,
though it lacked insight into other factors beside the given point. Although it
was sufficient to inform the public of the dangers by improper “pharmaceutical
disposal”, the page could be build up with information of other relevant
factors.
References:
Bienkowski, B., &
Environmental Health News (2013, November 22). Only half of drugs removed by
sewage treatment. Scientific
American. Retrieved from:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-half-of-drugs-removed-by-sewage-treatment/
Burch, L.W. (2015, March
4). Pharmaceutical disposal. Citizens
Campaign for the Environment. Retrieved
from: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp
Cuevas, G. (2011,
February 8) From therapeutic drugs to toxic contaminants: Pharmaceutical
pollution in the water and strategies to regulate its impact. Columbia Journal of Environmental
Law. Retrieved from:
http://www.columbiaenvironmentallaw.org/articles/from-therapeutic-drugs-to-toxic-contaminants-pharmaceutical-pollution-in-the-water-and-strategies-to-regulate-its-impact
Daughton, C.G., &
Ruhoy, I.S. (2013, January 15) Lower-dose prescribing: Minimizing “side
effects” of pharmaceuticals on society and the environment. Science of The Total Environment,
443, p324–337. Retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969712013927
Kidd, K.A., Paterson,
M.J., Rennie, M.D., Podemski, C.L., Findlay, D.L., Blanchfield, P.J., &
Liber, K. (2014, October 13). Direct and indirect responses of a freshwater
food web to a potent synthetic oestrogen. Philosophical
Transactions of the Royal Society, B 2014 369 20130578; DOI:
10.1098/rstb.2013.0578. Retrieved from: http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1656/20130578
National Environmental
Agency. (n.d.) The Schedule. Retrieved from:
http://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/anti-pollution-radiation-protection/soil-pollution/20100505422108755681.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Shah S. (2010, April 15)
As pharmaceutical use soars, drugs taint water and wildlife. Yale Environment 360. Retrieved from:
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_pharmaceutical_use_soars_drugs_taint_water_and_wildlife/2263/
Saturday, 21 November 2015
Inspiration (Draft)
The common figure for
inspiration are often our mothers. The beautiful lady who went through pain to
bring you to this world and raised you, never complaining about the sacrifices
she had to make. However, I feel that someone who inspires you would make you
think “because of this person, I want to do/become ____” and for the feelings I
have towards my mother and family would be of emotions and filial piety.
The person who inspires
me is my karate sensei. He strive to pass on the knowledge and experience he
gained over the years, and the way of the art passed to him when he went over
to Japan to learn from the head of our style. Sensei not only taught us the
importance of traditional Japanese budo, but also patience, strength, perseverance
and other important virtues. Everyone is also a family, be it inside or outside
of the dojo.
Thirty years of
dedication to teaching the way of the art, and more than that towards learning.
Even at his age, he train every day without fail. Inspired by his devotion, I
want to become stronger, and be a better leader when I guide my juniors. As a
disciple of karate-do, I have gained numerous insights as well. It is not
something which is only applicable in martial art but towards our everyday
life. The courage and fearlessness I have gained allowed me to face the
encounters and predicament in life with fierce determination.
As mentioned by the late
Grandmaster Chojun Miyagi, founder of Goju-ryu, “The ultimate aim of karate-do
was to build character, conquer human misery, and find spiritual freedom.”
There is still a long
way to go.
This is just the start
of my learning journey.
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
“The Role of Peer and Tutor Feedback."
It has been about two months since we
started SIE2016. Frankly speaking, at first I thought that it would be similar
to the “Report Writing and Presentation” elective which I had to undertake in
polytechnic a few years ago. However, it proved me wrong during the first few tutorial
classes. Unlike the writing modules I have taken in the past, the current class
incorporate the use of peer feedback. Although tutor feedback would serve as a
more effective guidance, I feel that the usage of peer evaluate allowed us to
receive a diverse opinions and suggestions. In addition, the system not only
place us to be responsible for our own writing and self-assessment, but also
the work of our peers. Furthermore, it allowed us to explore various writing
styles as everyone express their words differently.
While the module had added on to our
current workload, what I had presumed to be time-consuming had actually changed
part of my writing habit. I used to only check my writing during the process of
crafting my work, and submit it after just a quick look through of the final
piece. The frequent writing and evaluation caused me to be more meticulous in
my work now.
Besides improving our writing and critical
thinking skills, I feel that peer feedback and group assignments also enhanced
our social skills and the way we interact with others. Both factors not only
consider our learning process, but also gives us more opportunities to work as
a team instead.
Overall, the module allowed me to gain
different skills set which I can incorporate in other modules and outside of
academic. In fact, it has already been a help for the study journals and report
assignments we currently have for this trimester’s modules.
Friday, 6 November 2015
Reflection on Presentation (November 5, 2015)
Voice projection, clear articulation, being confident and having all the necessary eye contact are problems which I certainly do not face while I am doing sports or conducting trainings. However, the same could not be said for presentations. I have to admit that I was stressed up for this presentation as it has been about two years since my last presentation, and having to prepare for it within two days certainly added the load to it. Perhaps I should have been less tense and deliver my ideas more enthusiastically, as there seem to be a lack of passion in my tone.
As for what I have done well, I feel that I was speaking loud and clear enough for this presentation. In addition, I used the visual aids on the slides as prompts instead of holding onto cue cards or notes. Although the content could have been enriched with more information, I feel that the relevant points I presented was organized and had a nice flow.
Overall, there are several aspects which I need to improve. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”, and perhaps that is the key factor to achieving a better presentation.
As for what I have done well, I feel that I was speaking loud and clear enough for this presentation. In addition, I used the visual aids on the slides as prompts instead of holding onto cue cards or notes. Although the content could have been enriched with more information, I feel that the relevant points I presented was organized and had a nice flow.
Overall, there are several aspects which I need to improve. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect”, and perhaps that is the key factor to achieving a better presentation.
Saturday, 17 October 2015
Reader's Response (Draft 3)
In the article "Pharmaceutical Disposal", Burch
(2015) discussed the rising concern of water pollution in United States due to
the improper ways of drug disposal. In addition, Burch also mentioned the act
of "flushing unwanted or unused medications" as a factor due to
common practices and absence of drug filtration in "wastewater treatment
plants". Although the effect on humans is unclear, negative effect on
"fish and aquatic life" has been proven. However, the severity of the
issue is still uncertain due to the lack of regulation and/or policies in
place. The author states that the problem of “flushing drugs” might be resolved
by providing "access to safe and convenient pharmaceutical disposal
options".
I agree with the author that improper disposal of pharmaceutical
products is indeed a rising concern as a factor of water contamination.
However, the author focused it as a key issue and did not explore other
contributing factors. I believe that there are contaminants from other sources
which would require more recognition.
It is certainly true that improper disposal of
pharmaceutical products is one of the factors contributing to water
contamination, even in drinking supplies. However, the article only
considered "pharmaceutical disposal" by public and healthcare
facilities. It did not include those of industrial waste even though a
significant amount of waste enter the Great Lakes daily. For example, Bienkowski and
Environmental Health News (2013) reported that "More than 1,400 wastewater
treatment plants in the United States and Canada discharge 4.8 billion gallons
of treated effluent into the Great Lakes basin every day" when they
discussed about the findings of a study conducted by the International Joint
Commission.
In the article, adverse effects on the aquatic life were
also mentioned. According to Shah
(2010), toxicity research on wildlife is generally studied on aquatic species.
However, I feel that we should also explore the chain effect in the other
areas. There are no proper definitions as to which type of species or organisms
in the ecosystem would provide an accurate representation of wildlife, since
all of them have different behaviour patterns,
anatomy etc. As mentioned by Kidd
et al. (2014), "small-scale studies focusing solely on direct effects are
likely to underestimate the true environmental impacts". Even though the
negative effects on the aquatic life are proven, I feel that it should only serve
as an indicator and reference while we continue to research the effects on the
ecosystem. The sole inclusion of the impact on aquatic life with no elaboration does
not reflect the severity and extent of the effects and do not inform the
community of it.
In the article, Burch also mentioned that "a critical
part of the solution is to STOP flushing drugs" because it is a
"highly prevalent and preventable source of pharmaceutical
pollution." There is no doubt that it is an agreeable point. However, it
failed to consider involuntary factors such as pollution due to excretion and
usage of personal care products. Medicines taken are not always metabolized
fully and are usually excreted out of the human body. In addition, topical
medications and care products applied are also introduced into the waste
through bathing. Daughton and Ruhoy (2013) also mentioned that "excretion
via urine and fecal material" is the main contributor of "Active
Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)" contamination found in the environment. Perhaps it would be
more effective to advice pharmacists, and other relevant medical positions, on
the reduction or optimal prescribing of medicines to patients instead. There
would be lesser residual medications being excreted, which would then serve as
a plausible solution in reducing contamination via the involuntary secondary
route. In addition, an alternative solution would be to research on ways
to improve our current infrastructure. For example, research on methods to
allow wastewater treatment plants to be able to remove unwanted pharmaceutical
impurities, or for companies to simplify the process during manufacturing.
Legislation was mentioned as a counter measure in the
article. It is worth noting that even though the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) regulates water pollutants with The Clean Water Act
(CWA), the list does not include medicinal products (Cuevas, 2011). Perhaps
improvements should be made to the regulation. Even though pharmaceutical
products serve as a remedy to illness, they can also become an undesired toxin
which will in turn harm us. In comparison to United States, there is stricter
control in Singapore. Pollution control is regulated under the authority of the
National Environmental Agency (NEA). Different factors are considered and
cross-referenced as a whole, for example, the control of soil pollution is
considered with the regulation of water pollution. In addition, NEA considers
pharmaceutical and pathogenic wastes under their "list of toxic industrial
wastes", along with many others.
In general, this article served well as a general
introduction to water pollution by pharmaceutical factors. It included the main
idea of contamination due to direct disposal, though it lacks insight into
other factors beside the given point. Although it is sufficient to inform the
public of the dangers by improper “pharmaceutical disposal”, the page could be
build up with information of other relevant factors.
References
Bienkowski, B & Environmental Health News (2013, November
22). Only Half of Drugs
Removed by Sewage Treatment. Scientific American. Retrieved
from:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-half-of-drugs-removed-by-sewage-treatment/
Burch, L.W. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical Disposal. Citizens Campaign for the
Environment. Retrieved from:
http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp
Cuevas, G. (2011, February 8) From Therapeutic Drugs to
Toxic Contaminants: Pharmaceutical Pollution in the Water and Strategies to
Regulate Its Impact. Columbia
Journal of Environmental Law. Retrieved
from:
http://www.columbiaenvironmentallaw.org/articles/from-therapeutic-drugs-to-toxic-contaminants-pharmaceutical-pollution-in-the-water-and-strategies-to-regulate-its-impact
Daughton, C.G. & Ruhoy, I.S. (2013, January 15) Lower-dose
prescribing: Minimizing “side effects” of pharmaceuticals on society and the
environment. Science of The
Total Environment, Volume 443, p324–337. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969712013927
Kidd, K.A., Paterson, M.J., Rennie, M.D., Podemski, C.L.,
Findlay, D.L., Blanchfield, P.J., Liber, K. (2014, October 13). Direct and
indirect responses of a freshwater food web to a potent synthetic oestrogen. Philosophical Transactions of The
Royal Society, B 2014 369
20130578; DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0578. Retrieved from:
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1656/20130578
National Environmental Agency. (n.d.) The Schedule. Retrieved
from:
http://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/anti-pollution-radiation-protection/soil-pollution/20100505422108755681.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Shah S. (2010, April 15) As Pharmaceutical Use Soars, Drugs
Taint Water and Wildlife. Yale
Environment 360. Retrieved
from:
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_pharmaceutical_use_soars_drugs_taint_water_and_wildlife/2263/
Friday, 25 September 2015
Reader's Response (Draft)
In the article "Pharmaceutical Disposal" by Burch (2015), he discussed about the rising concern of water pollution in United States due to the improper ways of drug disposal. He also mentioned the act of "flushing unwanted or unused medications" as a factor due to common practice and absence of drug filtration in "wastewater treatment plants". Although the effect on humans are unclear, negative effect on "fish and aquatic life" have been proven. However, the severity of the issue is still uncertain due to the lack of regulation and/or policies in place. At the end, the author also presented a possible solution to be the prevention of "flushing drugs" by providing "access to safe and convenient pharmaceutical disposal options".
"Pharmaceutical disposal" is indeed a rising concern of water contamination. However the author focused it as a key issue and did not explore other contributing factors. I disagree with the author's stance to a certain extent, as I believe that there are contributions from other major factors besides improper ways of disposal.
It is certainly true that improper disposal of pharmaceutical products is one of the factors contributing to water contamination, even in drinking supplies. However, the article only took into consideration of the "pharmaceutical disposal" by the public and healthcare facilities. It did not consider those of industrial waste. For example, Bienkowski and Environmental Health News (2013) reported that "More than 1,400 wastewater treatment plants in the United States and Canada discharge 4.8 billion gallons of treated effluent into the Great Lakes basin every day" when they discussed about the findings of a study conducted by the International Joint Commission.
In the article, adverse effects on the aquatic life were also mentioned. According to Shah (2010), toxicity research on wildlife is generally studied on aquatic species. However, I feel that we should also explore the chain effect in the other areas. There are no proper definitions as to which type of species or organisms in the ecosystem would provide an accurate representation of the wildlife, since all of them have different behaviour patterns, anatomy etc. As mentioned by Kidd et al. (2014), "small-scale studies focusing solely on direct effects are likely to underestimate the true environmental impacts". Even though the negative effects on the aquatic life are proven, I feel that it should only serve as an indicator and reference while we continue to research the effects on the ecosystem.
In the article, Burch also mentioned that "a critical part of the solution is to STOP flushing drugs" because it is a "highly prevalent and preventable source of pharmaceutical pollution." There is no doubt that the it is an agreeable point, however it failed to consider involuntary factors such as pollution due to excretion and usage of personal care products. Medicines taken are not always metabolized fully and are usually excreted out of the human body. In addition, topical medications and care products applied are also introduced into the waste through bathing. Daughton and Ruhoy (2013) also mentioned that "excretion via urine and fecal material" is the main contributor of "Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)" contamination found in environment. In my opinion, it would be a more feasible solution to research on ways to improve our current infrastructure. For example, research on methods to allow wastewater treatment plants to be able to remove unwanted pharmaceutical impurities, or for companies to simplify the process during manufacturing. It is also worth noting that even though the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates water pollutants with The Clean Water Act (CWA), the list does not include medicinal products (Cuevas, 2011). Perhaps improvements should be made to the regulation. We cannot deny that even though pharmaceutical products serve as a remedy to illness, it can also become an undesired toxin which will in turn harm us. In comparison to the United States, there is a stricter control in Singapore. Pollution control is regulated under the authority of the National Environmental Agency (NEA). Different factors are considered and cross-referenced as as whole, for example, the control of soil pollution are considered with the regulation of water pollution. In addition, NEA considers pharmaceutical and pathogenic wastes under their "list of toxic industrial wastes", along many others.
In general, this article served well as a general introduction to water pollution by pharmaceutical factors. It included the main idea of contamination due to direct disposal, though it lack insight to other factors besides the given point.
References:
Burch, LW. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical Disposal. Retrieved from: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp
Bienkowski, B & Environmental Health News (2013, November 22). Only Half of Drugs Removed by Sewage Treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-half-of-drugs-removed-by-sewage-treatment/
Cuevas G. (2011, February 8) From Therapeutic Drugs to Toxic Contaminants: Pharmaceutical Pollution in the Water and Strategies to Regulate Its Impact. Retrieved from: http://www.columbiaenvironmentallaw.org/articles/from-therapeutic-drugs-to-toxic-contaminants-pharmaceutical-pollution-in-the-water-and-strategies-to-regulate-its-impact
Daughtona CG & Ruhoy IS (2013, January 15) Lower-dose prescribing: Minimizing “side effects” of pharmaceuticals on society and the environment. Science of The Total Environment, Volume 443, p324–337. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969712013927
Kidd KA, Paterson MJ, Rennie MD, Podemski CL, Findlay DL, Blanchfield PJ, Liber K. (2014, October 13). Direct and indirect responses of a freshwater food web to a potent synthetic oestrogen. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 2014 369 20130578; DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0578. Retrieved from: http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1656/20130578
National Environmental Agency. The Schedule. Retrieved from: http://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/anti-pollution-radiation-protection/soil-pollution/20100505422108755681.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Shah S. (2010, April 15) As Pharmaceutical Use Soars, Drugs Taint Water and Wildlife. Retrieved from: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_pharmaceutical_use_soars_drugs_taint_water_and_wildlife/2263/
Last edit: 02/10/2015, 0122.
"Pharmaceutical disposal" is indeed a rising concern of water contamination. However the author focused it as a key issue and did not explore other contributing factors. I disagree with the author's stance to a certain extent, as I believe that there are contributions from other major factors besides improper ways of disposal.
It is certainly true that improper disposal of pharmaceutical products is one of the factors contributing to water contamination, even in drinking supplies. However, the article only took into consideration of the "pharmaceutical disposal" by the public and healthcare facilities. It did not consider those of industrial waste. For example, Bienkowski and Environmental Health News (2013) reported that "More than 1,400 wastewater treatment plants in the United States and Canada discharge 4.8 billion gallons of treated effluent into the Great Lakes basin every day" when they discussed about the findings of a study conducted by the International Joint Commission.
In the article, adverse effects on the aquatic life were also mentioned. According to Shah (2010), toxicity research on wildlife is generally studied on aquatic species. However, I feel that we should also explore the chain effect in the other areas. There are no proper definitions as to which type of species or organisms in the ecosystem would provide an accurate representation of the wildlife, since all of them have different behaviour patterns, anatomy etc. As mentioned by Kidd et al. (2014), "small-scale studies focusing solely on direct effects are likely to underestimate the true environmental impacts". Even though the negative effects on the aquatic life are proven, I feel that it should only serve as an indicator and reference while we continue to research the effects on the ecosystem.
In the article, Burch also mentioned that "a critical part of the solution is to STOP flushing drugs" because it is a "highly prevalent and preventable source of pharmaceutical pollution." There is no doubt that the it is an agreeable point, however it failed to consider involuntary factors such as pollution due to excretion and usage of personal care products. Medicines taken are not always metabolized fully and are usually excreted out of the human body. In addition, topical medications and care products applied are also introduced into the waste through bathing. Daughton and Ruhoy (2013) also mentioned that "excretion via urine and fecal material" is the main contributor of "Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)" contamination found in environment. In my opinion, it would be a more feasible solution to research on ways to improve our current infrastructure. For example, research on methods to allow wastewater treatment plants to be able to remove unwanted pharmaceutical impurities, or for companies to simplify the process during manufacturing. It is also worth noting that even though the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates water pollutants with The Clean Water Act (CWA), the list does not include medicinal products (Cuevas, 2011). Perhaps improvements should be made to the regulation. We cannot deny that even though pharmaceutical products serve as a remedy to illness, it can also become an undesired toxin which will in turn harm us. In comparison to the United States, there is a stricter control in Singapore. Pollution control is regulated under the authority of the National Environmental Agency (NEA). Different factors are considered and cross-referenced as as whole, for example, the control of soil pollution are considered with the regulation of water pollution. In addition, NEA considers pharmaceutical and pathogenic wastes under their "list of toxic industrial wastes", along many others.
In general, this article served well as a general introduction to water pollution by pharmaceutical factors. It included the main idea of contamination due to direct disposal, though it lack insight to other factors besides the given point.
References:
Burch, LW. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical Disposal. Retrieved from: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp
Bienkowski, B & Environmental Health News (2013, November 22). Only Half of Drugs Removed by Sewage Treatment. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-half-of-drugs-removed-by-sewage-treatment/
Cuevas G. (2011, February 8) From Therapeutic Drugs to Toxic Contaminants: Pharmaceutical Pollution in the Water and Strategies to Regulate Its Impact. Retrieved from: http://www.columbiaenvironmentallaw.org/articles/from-therapeutic-drugs-to-toxic-contaminants-pharmaceutical-pollution-in-the-water-and-strategies-to-regulate-its-impact
Daughtona CG & Ruhoy IS (2013, January 15) Lower-dose prescribing: Minimizing “side effects” of pharmaceuticals on society and the environment. Science of The Total Environment, Volume 443, p324–337. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969712013927
Kidd KA, Paterson MJ, Rennie MD, Podemski CL, Findlay DL, Blanchfield PJ, Liber K. (2014, October 13). Direct and indirect responses of a freshwater food web to a potent synthetic oestrogen. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 2014 369 20130578; DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0578. Retrieved from: http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1656/20130578
National Environmental Agency. The Schedule. Retrieved from: http://www.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/anti-pollution-radiation-protection/soil-pollution/20100505422108755681.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Shah S. (2010, April 15) As Pharmaceutical Use Soars, Drugs Taint Water and Wildlife. Retrieved from: http://e360.yale.edu/feature/as_pharmaceutical_use_soars_drugs_taint_water_and_wildlife/2263/
Last edit: 02/10/2015, 0122.
Thursday, 24 September 2015
Summary of Article: Pharmaceutical Disposal
In the article "Pharmaceutical Disposal" by Burch (2015), he discussed about the rising concern of water pollution in United States due to the improper ways of drug disposal. He also mentioned the act of "flushing unwanted or unused medications" as a factor due to common practice and absence of drug filtration in "wastewater treatment plants". Although the effect on humans are unclear, negative effect on "fish and aquatic life" have been proven. However, the severity of the issue is still uncertain due to the lack of regulation and/or policies in place. At the end, the author also presented a possible solution to be the prevention of "flushing drugs" by providing "access to safe and convenient pharmaceutical disposal options".
Burch, LW. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical Disposal. Retrieved from: http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp
Edited on 2015, September 25.
Edited on 2015, September 25.
Wednesday, 16 September 2015
My English Language Learning Journey (Edited)
English is the official language in a large number of countries even though it may not be the universal language for the world. In Singapore, the use of Standard English allowed us to bridge the gap between our diverse ethnic groups. Nevertheless, we should not neglect the point that it is usually introduced to most of us as a secondary language, usually when we enter pre-school, while we speak our native language or mother tongue at home. One such example would be myself. English is foreign to my parents and I grew up speaking mandarin and chinese dialect at home. There was almost no chance of practising the language except when I was in school, which then resulted in a lack of interest in the language. In my opinion, interest plays a large influence on learning. Without interest, it is difficult for one to have the passion to gain more knowledge to satisfy their curiosity.
Rewind a few years back. If I had to relate "English" to a person, the first thought to mind would be William Shakespeare. The contact with English Literature during my secondary school finally sparked an interest in the language. Essay writings was essential in literature and we did it for almost every assignment. It was tedious, but it allowed us to decipher and reflect on plays and poems of the olden age, which eventually served as a source of entertainment because of how intriguing it was. Besides that, the writings also eventually improved my understanding of the English language.
Writings are common for reports in tertiary education, and it certainly was a different experience with scientific reports in my polytechnic days, which required more precise analysis and reviewing. Currently I am in an engineering student (after changing my major), and I think that engineering reports will require a different style of approach as compared to scientific writings . However, I hope that my past experiences in the learning of English will allow me to adapt fast.
Friday, 11 September 2015
My English Language Learning Journey
English is the official language in a large number of countries even though it may not be the universal language for the world. In Singapore, the use of Standard English allowed us to bridge the gap between our diverse ethnic groups. Nevertheless, we should not neglect the point that it is usually introduced to most of us as a secondary language, usually when we enter pre-school, while we speak our native language or mother tongue at home. One such example would be myself. English is foreign to my parents and I grew up speaking mandarin and chinese dialect at home. There are almost no chance of practising the language except when I'm in school, which then resulted in a lack of interest in the language. In my opinion, interest plays a large influence on learning. Without interest, it is difficult for one to have the passion to gain more knowledge to satisfy their curiosity.
Rewind a few years back, if I had to relate "English" to a person, the first thought to mind would be William Shakespeare. The contact with English Literature during my secondary school finally sparked an interest in the language. Essay writings is essential in literature and we do it for almost every assignment. It was tedious, but it allowed us to decipher and reflect on plays and poems of the olden age, which eventually served as a source of entertainment because of how intriguing it was. Besides that, the writings also eventually improved my understanding of the English language.
Writings are common for reports in tertiary education, and it certainly was a different experience with scientific reports in my polytechnic days, which required more precise analysis and reviewing. Currently I am in an engineering student (after changing my major), and I think that engineering reports will require a different style of approach as compared to scientific writings . However, I hope that my past experiences in the learning of English will allow me to adapt fast.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)