TPJC H1 PW Oral Presentation TP126

Yash:
A very good morning ladies and gentlemen. (Introduce group). Today, our group shall present to you our project,
with the aim to provide access to a smoke-free environment for non-smokers by reducing the exposure to second
hand smoke, to be referred through this presentation as SHS, via improving current smoking areas with a green
smoking station. SHS is hazardous to human health and results in many deaths. Tobacco is the main leading
preventable cause of death in many countries worldwide. In Singapore alone, there were about 360000 smokers,
around 14% of the population as of 2010. With such a high concentration of smokers given the relatively small
population of Singapore, non-smokers are affected through the inhalation of SHS, which contains over 7000
chemicals, of which 69 are cancerous in nature.

SHS can cause harm in many ways. Did you know that each year in the United States alone, it is responsible for:
1. An estimated 46,000 deaths from heart disease of people who are current non-smokers
2. About 3,400 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults
3. Worse asthma and asthma-related problems in up to 1 million asthmatic children
4. Children exposed to SHS are much more likely to be put into intensive care when they have the flu, they are in the
hospital longer, and are more likely to need breathing tubes than kids who arent exposed to SHS
5. In the United States, the costs of extra medical care, illness, and death caused by SHS are over $10 billion per year
These statistics are quoted from the American Cancer Societys website, 2013
Given that non-smokers can be affected by the negative effects of SHS, our project aims to help reduce the impacts
on non-smokers, particularly in areas outside public buildings. The prevalence of large human traffic in these places
traps non-smokers in close proximity to smokers, putting them at risk of inhaling SHS. Knowing the harmful effects of
SHS and that it would worsen the quality of the surrounding air, to a point that a removal of SHS would cause an 83%
decrease in particulate matter from such smoke in the air. Such effects would be further amplified in places with
high human traffic, even more so in places where there is a constant flow of human traffic.
Thus, to help reduce the exposure of non-smokers to SHS, we have decided to target areas where these effects are
most greatly felt by non-smokers, such as open areas outside public buildings.
Throughout the course of this presentation, my group associates will bring you through the details of our project. My
second speaker, Jayden, will speak about the analysis of current measures, limitations of current measures and the
criteria to meet the needs of the target group. My third speaker, Syafiq, will detail the proposal of ideas, spanning
the mechanical and technical aspects of project. My fourth speaker Carolyn will explain about the advanced
technology and other features of the project. To sum it all up, my fifth speaker, Jalene will wrap it all up with the cost
allocation, collection of survey results and a conclusion for the project. I hope that this project appeals to you as
much as we enjoyed preparing for it! I shall now pass on the time to Jayden, Thank you!

Jayden:
1. Analysis of Current Measures
There have been legislations in place to prevent smoking in certain public areas ever since 1970. Certain areas are
specially marked out for smoking purposes in addition to a ban being imposed in most public areas .
Designated Smoking Areas
Designated smoking areas are set up to reduce public contact with second-hand smoke. These are usually in places
where there is a high tendency for smokers to be present. Implementation of this includes the various Departure
Halls in Changi Airport, and the immediate area around shopping centres such as Ngee Ann City and Parkway Parade.
In addition, certain shopping centres have cleverly incorporated smoking areas in their open garden areas, allowing
the equivalent of killing two birds with one stone, as it provides both an aesthetically pleasing environment that can
be enjoyed by all, along with an indirectly providing a smoking area.

Smoke-Free Areas
Currently, smoking in all indoor public areas is banned by the NEA. Smokers are also disallowed from smoking within
a 5 metre radius of the entrances of these public areas.

2. Limitations of Current Measures

However, such measures are not effective to completely eradicate exposure to second-hand smoke. In a survey we
conducted with a sample size of thirty, more than 65% of non-smokers said that they would make a conscious effort
to avoid smokers in crowded areas, as the smoke might disperse much further away from the smoker.
In addition, based on our own observations, particularly along Orchard Road and in the Central Business District
(CBD), there is still a lack of marked smoking areas despite an extension of smoking bans in early 2013. Claims from
public building owners state that it is difficult to designate smoking areas outside these public buildings, as the
pedestrian walkways are still regarded as public areas. Although smoking is banned in public indoor areas and within
a 5 metre radius of such areas, it does not address exposure to second-hand smoke along walkways outside these
buildings. As such, passers-by are still subjected to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.
This shows that it is difficult to effectively contain tobacco smoke, particularly in areas where people tend to
commute frequently. The main responses from the survey we conducted were that they would either cover their
mouths and noses in an attempt to prevent oneself from breathing in the smoke, or go out of their way to avoid
these smokers.
This clearly shows that the current legislations in place are limited in their effectiveness.
Alternative Strategies An Immediate Outright Ban
As Yash previously brought up, tobacco poses as a health hazard to people. One might think that a total ban on
tobacco consumption here is the ideal solution. However, this would most probably backfire and create a strong
disincentive for the ban. The addictive nature of nicotine would mean that immediate ban would be perceived as
unacceptably harsh as there would be no legal outlet for smokers to satiate their addiction. Additionally, as the
saying goes, forbidden fruit is always the most alluring. One might be even more tempted to try out smoking in lieu
of the ban.

A clear indication that such current legislation is ineffective is that smoking among adults has actually increased by
almost 5% from 2004 to 2007. Thus, the immediate results of a total ban might be highly desirable at first. However,
if the government wants to kill two birds with one stone by encouraging a tobacco-free lifestyle in Singapore while
simultaneously protecting non-smokers from the exposure to second hand smoke, it can only resort to the current
measures of delegating areas in which smoking is allowed or banned.
Therefore, in order to effectively reduce the harmful effects second hand smoke poses to non-smokers, we propose
the introduction of a unique smoking point as a solution, which utilises the following technology to meet the needs
of our target group - mechanical, green and advanced technology. These when utilised would achieve the main
objective of purifying contaminated air in order to provide access to a smoke-free environment. We have chosen
these technologies due to the following reasons:

For the mechanical technology, the incorporated fan system is able to suck up the smoke emitted by the smokers
and filter the harmful toxins in the second hand smoke. This would in turn serve as the main point of air purification
for our smoking point system.

The green technology on the other hand is a low-cost and natural way of filtering the harmful toxins in cigarette
smoke, and complements the mechanical technology in reducing the amount of cigarette smoke in the air. The five
layers of Atmosphera contain different plants per layer which each filter out different components in cigarette
smoke.
The advanced technology in Athmosphera uses chemical methods of neutralizing the toxins into harmless amounts
of carbon dioxide and water.
With the aid of these three technologies, our group has incorporated these features into a smoking point which was
also inspired by an entry in a competition in Japan called the Perpetuum Mobile Smoking Point System. Constituting
features in the Perpetuum include the inner garden core, structural design and the motion and support system, all of
which have limitations and do not adequately address the spread of second-hand smoke in common walkways
outside public buildings. Therefore our adapted product, Atmosphera, will help to counter these limitations. Now, I
shall pass on the time to Syafiq, whom will discuss Athmosphera and the technologies it utilises in depth.

Syafiq:

The Atmosphera is an independent structure that consists of many technological features to combat the
smoke emissions around the area
The Atmosphera is a smoking point that is designed to specifically be placed in large open areas, mainly
outside shopping centres and office buildings, is approximately 6.5m tall and has a base diameter of about
2m
The Atmosphera, designed to effectively purify contaminated air and eradicate second hand smoke, has
been eradicated with Mechanical Technology and Green Technology which I will elaborate further on, and it
also consists of the usage of Advanced Technology via the quasicrystal faade, and other features such as
ashtrays and aesthetic blending, which my groupmate Carolyn will elaborate further on
The mechanical feature aspect of the Atmosphera is the filter core, stationed at the base of the Atmosphera,
to filter the smoke nearer to the ground
The filter core derives of the fan system, a carbon filter, and a scientific feature called the Botanicaire,
created by In Vitro Pte Ltd

The botanicaire uses a water filtration system that contains special bacteria known as the Nuvoc microbes to
remove 99% of indoor air contaminants. Nuvoc microbes is a unique mix of 12 different strains of microbes
that has the ability to break down contaminants in our air space into harmless particles
The botanicaire addresses the problem of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as formaldehyde,
toluene, benzene and carbon monoxide within the surrounding air
The fan system comprises of a fan and a funnel-like structure that leads the smoke to the base of the
Atmosphera, where a modified version of the botanicaire will filter the VOCs and release clean air through
the vents, which are located under the seats of the smoking point
The smoke from the smokers using the smoking point will be sucked in by the fan, which will pass through a
carbon filter before being brought down to the water reservoir of the botanicaire
The plants and bacteria used in the botanicaire will trap the dust particles from the VOCs in the water
reservoir at the base of the Atmosphera
As we know, smoke or hot any form of hot air usually rises, and thus we have incorporated an efficient fivelayer structure called the inner-garden core that uses environmental technology to tackle the VOCs that rise
above the filter core system
The smoke that is not taken care of by the filter core system will be handled by the five-layer system, thus
enhancing the efficiency of the Atmosphera and making an all-rounded smoke purifier that comprehends
the use of multi technological features that complement each other
Now I shall go in further detail about the five different layers of plants that we have incorporated in the
Atmosphera, and their respective functions
The first layer closest to the ground rests on the base of the Atmosphera, and consists of Bamboo Palm trees
Out of the many VOCs, the bamboo palm removes Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Carbon Monoxide, and we
chose to locate it at the base of the Atmosphera as it requires a larger area for its roots, as compared to the
other plants
The second, third, fourth, and fifth layers are supported by cylinders connected to the four inner-supporting
poles that link the base of the Atmosphera to its canopy
The second layer consists of Chrysanthemum Morifolium, which is a species of flower that removes
Formaldehyde, Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, and Ammonia
This flower flourishes better in indirect sunlight, and it also filters the most amount of VOCs as compared to
the other plants in the inner-garden core system. Thus, we place this plant as the second layer of the innergarden core since it flourishes better in that area and we can also maximize its efficiency
The third layer of the inner-garden core contains a plant called Golden Pothos
It grows better in indirect sunlight, and it removes Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Carbon Monoxide
We have placed this plant on the third layer as it will be easier to trim its long tendrils
The plant on the fourth layer is a flower called Peace Lily, which removes Formaldehyde, Benzene, and
Ammonia
It flourishes rather well under direct sunlight, so we have placed it nearer to the top of the Atmosphera
The plant were using for our upper-most layer of our inner-garden core will be the Chinese Evergreen
It flourishes marginally well under direct sunlight, and it removes Benzene, Carbon Monoxide, and
Formaldehyde
The Chinese Evergreen has rather broad leaves, so we have placed it at the top so that it can grow as a
foliage plant to create a canopy to protect the rest of the plants from the other layers
The 5 different layers in the inner garden core, along with the filter core system consisting of the fan system
and botanicaire, and the advanced technology aspect of the Atmosphera, ensure that at any level in the
Atmosphera smoking unit, harmful toxins are filtered by the powerful air cleaning plants thus countering the
prevalence of second-hand smoke when working in tandem with the other features of Atmosphera
Now, I shall give the time to my groupmate Carolyn, who will elaborate more on the advanced technology
aspect of the Atmosphera, and the other features of the Atmosphera that will help make the Atmosphera a
more efficient product

Carolyn:
(Taking the cue from third speaker)
Thank you, Syafiq. Besides using mechanical technology and green technology as mentioned earlier on in the
presentation, our group has decided to incorporate advanced technology into the functionalities of our smoking
point to improve the overall efficiency of air purification. Here is an overview of what our smoking point looks like.
For a more realistic representation of our smoking point, here is a model of our adapted product, the Atmosphera.
As the model is being passed around, you will be able to see the 3 labeled components which represent the 3 main
features of our smoking point mechanical technology, green technology and advanced technology. The mechanical
technology is represented by the filter base and the green technology by the inner garden core, both of which were
elaborated on by Syafiq earlier on in the presentation. Now, let me tell you about the last form of technology that
we have adopted in our smoking point the advanced technology. By the name itself, it seems like some form of scifi inspired advancement in technology that can only be offered in the future right? But, you may be surprised to
know that this advanced technology is actually a current measure installed on the Torre de Especialidades at the
Hospital Manuel Gea Gonzalez in Mexico City to reduce air pollution in urban environments. This facade is composed
of Prosolve 370e modules, which are three dimensional architectural modules with photo-catalytic pollution-fighting
technology. Let me break it down for you, the modules are coated with a composite containing superfine titanium
dioxide, which is driven by low levels of light to cause a photo-catalytic reaction capable of reducing oxides of
nitrogen and volatile organic compounds. These substances are effectively neutralized into small amounts of carbon
dioxide and water, which causes significantly less harm to the environment. But will the photo-catalyst itself be
consumed in the reaction? The answer is no. The modules are able to purify the air for as long as a decade, which
serves as a sustainable method of air purification.
Let me draw your attention to our model of the Atmosphera. As you can see, the features such as the filter base and
inner garden core is covered with an overarching canopy which is shaped from the individual Prosolve 370e modules
as mentioned earlier. This will not only serve as a shelter for the smoking point, but also serve as a protective layer
to lessen the impact of the direct suns rays on the plants in the fiver layer inner garden core. Due to the the complex
surfaces of the modules, the surface area is increased up to 200 percent. This enlarged surface area and
omnidirectional light exposure enhances the air-cleansing propensity of the photo-catalytic modules, hence ensuring
the maximum efficiency of our smoking point.
We have also chosen to include other features in our smoking point as smoking has not only resulted in the
occurrence of second-hand smoke, but has also given rise to other negative externalities such as the improper
disposal of cigarette waste. As shown by the pictures in the slides, cigarette butts are most commonly disposed of
along public walkways. Just by a show of hands from the audience, who agrees that there is a prevalent cigarette
litter problem in Singapore? Well this simple gauge of response, when coupled with NEA's enforcement statistics,
show that 95% of all litter offenders were caught because of improper disposal of cigarette butts. Therefore, our
group has decided to include ash trays as a side feature to reduce the occurrence of cigarette butt litter.
In addition, our group has also taken the aesthetic blending of the smoking point into consideration as it is important
that the variety of elements used for the design of the smoking point blend together well with the design of its
surrounding buildings. In this way, the overall design of the space appears unified. The quasi-crystalline geometry of
the faade makes formal composition in the aesthetic design by creating patterns which add visual excitement to a
large extent. This enhances the aesthetic appeal of the smoking point.
All in all, the three features of Atmosphera mechanical technology, green technology and advanced technology,
work in tandem to increase the efficiency of air purification and hence, improve the efficiency of the smoking point. I
will now pass the time over to my group member Jalene, who will be telling you more about our evaluation on the
overall effectiveness of Atmosphera, and she will be wrapping up this presentation with our concluding points.

Jalene:

Thank You Carolyn.

As mentioned earlier by my teammates Yash and Carolyn, here is an overview of the price of a single unit
of Atmosphera. (show slide, pause for 10-20 seconds.)
As seen from the slide, a single unit costs close to $600! Expensive? For the multiple health benefits that it
can bring about, it is not expensive at all! Furthermore, as Carolyn has earlier explained, a single unit is able
to last up to decades as the Prosolve 370 e molecules are able to last up to a decade, making this a
profitable investment to managements. As Mr Patrick Mui has said in our interview session with him, he
will be willing to invest in such a product for Parkway Parade once it has been approved by the appropriate
governments.
However, despite the many benefits it can bring about for us, as all products, it has its limitations as well.
As mentioned by Syafiq earlier on, the five layer inner garden core has brought about much convenience
and has helped to incorporate green technology into our device. However, due to the height of a unit
which will go up to 2m, this will pose as a difficulty in maintenance of the plants resulting in much
inconvenience during maintenance. The plants require frequent maintenance as the plants have a shelf life
of about 2 weeks and will then need to be replaced. With a height of 2m, this may pose as a difficulty for
many.
Secondly, the presence of the Quasicrystal Faade, which serves not only as a shelter for users but also as a
shelter for the plants which are unable to receive direct sunlight for long. The faade may encourage
increased numbers of smokers to use this smoking point as it will be a very comfortable area with shelter
from the rain or sun. As Mr Mui has pointed out, the shelter will attract much unnecessary attention from
the public. However, we have justified this limitation as the faade is necessary to protect the plants from
direct sunlight exposure.
Lastly, the water found in the base of the fan system. Due to the slight acidity the water may contain after
filtering the smoke, the water will pose difficulty in disposal as Singapores legislations have stated that
acidic mediums may not be disposed of in normal drainage systems and may require the expertise of
skilled professionals.
Now, how many of you here are non-smokers and tend to avoid smokers in public? Results from our recent
survey have also revealed up to 97% of respondents said that they will move away from smokers when
they see them and thus, by implementing Atmosphera, the smokers will congregate at only a certain area
and this allows for non-smokers to avoid them with ease.
The presence of Atmosphera is not only essential in helping to achieve our aim of allowing people to have
access to smoke-free air, it also enables one to reduce the amount of second-hand smoke one breathes in
on a daily basis, thus also helping to reduce the number of cases of respiratory problems. Killing two birds
with one stone efficiently! And this brings us to the end of our presentation.
Thank you for your kind attention and time and we hope that you have enjoyed our presentation as much
as we have enjoyed presenting it to you.
Are there any questions about our project?