CHAPTER 3 SCIENCE F5 KSSM

Chapter 3:
Sustainability

of the
Environment

3.1 Product Life Cycle What is offset?
Process that can
Carbon Footprint reduce the release
of greenhouse
-Total amount of gases e.g. planting
carbon dioxide green plants.
released into the
atmosphere as a result
of the activities of an
individual, event,
organisation,
community or
products which are
used in daily life.

MrMpoilam 2021

Example of Carbon Footprint Labels of a product in different country

Energy Sector

Carbon Footprint and Carbon Handprint of a Product

● The carbon handprint of a product is aimed at reducing its carbon footprint and
increasing its positive impacts on environmental sustainability

Carbon handprint measures

1. Use of materials with low carbon footprint in product manufacturing

• Non-renewable building materials, which emit a
lot of greenhouse gases are replaced with
renewable building materials, which emit less
greenhouse gases.

• Example : cement is replaced with timber.

2. Extending the life cycle and increasing the efficiency of a product

• Rechargeable batteries and solar panels
are examples of products with extended life
cycle and increased energy efficiency.

Solar panel Rechargeable battery

Carbon handprint measures

3. Use of energy that emits less greenhouse gases and highly-efficient energy converters

• Use renewable energy resources to
generate electric power.

• Examples of renewable energy: Solar, wind,
hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass

• Hydropower is the most used renewable
energy resources

4. Efficient management of waste towards environmental sustainability

The 5R (Refuse, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Rot)
concept of waste management reduces waste by:
• refusing unnecessary products
• reducing the quantity of products used
• recycling products
• reusing products
• enabling the rotting of waste through composting

Carbon handprint measures

5. Elimination of greenhouse gases and storage of carbon dioxide in carbon sinks

• Carbon sinks are natural places such as forests and oceans that
remove carbon dioxide from the air.

• The reduction of carbon dioxide in the air occurs when carbon
dioxide dissolves in seawater and when it is absorbed by green
plants in the forests.

• Carbon accumulated in biomass can also help to reduce carbon
dioxide in the air.

LIFE CYCLE OF A PRODUCT

recycling decay

ANALYSIS CONCLUSION

Describe the topic of
the section

Efficient
Management of
Plastic Waste

towards
Environmental
Sustainability

• What is meant by upcycle?
The process of transforming waste materials,
useless, or unwanted products into new materials
to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or
environmental value.

• What are microplastics?
Small plastic pieces that is less than 5 mm in length which can be harmful to ocean
and aquatic life.
• Categories and source of microplastics:
a) Primary microplastics - Microbeads made by polyethylene(used in facial

cleansers, facial scrubs and cosmetics)
b) Secondary microplastics - Breakdown of larger plastic debris caused by sun’s

radiation and ocean waves
• Microplastics are not biodegradable.
• This increases the probability of microplastics being

ingested and accumulated in the bodies and tissues
of many organisms.

Microplastic

3.2 Environmental Pollution

AIR THERMAL • Environmental pollution
POLLUTION POLLUTION
refers to the unwanted
TYPES OF changes in the physical,
ENVIRONMENTAL chemical or biological
characteristics of
POLLUTION environmental components,
that is, air, water and soil.
LAND WATER • Environmental pollution
POLLUTION POLLUTION causes harm and discomfort
to all life forms.
•Environmental pollution also
causes environmental issues

such as flash floods.

TYPES AND SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
POLLUTION
• Burning of fossil and biomass fuels, automobile
AIR POLLUTION exhaust gases,
decaying organic substances and waste which release
greenhouse gases and various types of toxic gases such as
sulphur dioxide into the air.

• Natural air pollution
– volcanic eruptions
– forest fires
– dust storms
– decaying organic waste

• Man-made air pollution
– exhaust gases from motorised equipment or vehicles
– blast furnaces
– thermal power stations
– industries and garbage disposal sites

TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
POLLUTION
• Waste
WATER POLLUTION – wastewater
– domestic waste such as detergents and sewage
– solid waste such as rubbish
– industrial waste such as grease

• Chemical substances used in agriculture such as
chemical fertilisers and pesticides

• Oil spills

TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
POLLUTION
• Excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides
LAND POLLUTION • Inappropriate management of solid waste
• Acid rain
• Nuclear waste
• Electronic waste

THERMAL POLLUTION • Deforestation
• Industrial activities
• Fuel combustion in vehicles or machines

LEVEL OF WATER POLLUTION FROM DOMESTIC WASTE

•Air Pollutant Index (API) is the air pollution parameter which is measured to

determine air pollution level .

•Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the water pollution parameter which is

measured tVoENdUeStermine water pollution level.

•(BOD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by microorganisms such as
bacteria to dJUePcIoTEmRpose organic substances in a water resource.
•The higher the BOD of a water sample, the more microorganisms can be found in it.

Eutrophication

• Eutrophication is the ecosystem response towards

an increase of phosphate ions and nitrate ions (from
detergents, fertilisers and garbage) in an aquatic
ecosystem.

•Example: The rapid growth of algae in water bodies
containing an excessive supply of nitrate ions

•The negative effects of eutrophication include reduced
oxygen content in water that can cause the death of
aquatic animals and plants.

Purification Method for Contaminated Water
using Green Technology

Use of Effective Microorganism Mud Balls (EM Mud Balls)

• Green Technology methods to treat contaminated rivers in Malaysia

3.3 Preservation and Conservation of the
Environment

Negative Emission Technologies

•What are Negative Emission Technologies?
Technologies that remove the carbon dioxide content in the
atmosphere.

•Example:
By using microalgae ; marine microalgae, that is, microscopic
algae which live, grow and reproduce abundantly in seawater.

•These microalgae reduce the carbon dioxide content in the
atmosphere through photosynthesis

The Role of United Nations (UN) in Addressing Global
Environmental Issues

•The United Nations (UN) plays an effective role in addressing global
environmental issues.
•UN increases the cooperation and efforts of countries around the world to
address global environmental issues through the following ways: