Improving passenger safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Improving passenger recourse - Essay ExampleThe majority of road crashes are as a outcome of human error such as exceeding speed limit, ignoring traffic rules and recourse systems such as seat belts among others. Improving passenger golosh in railroad cars is very important so as to sheer the injuries associated with car accidents. However, this alone will not assist in minimizing accident rates because improving car performance and increasing awareness of traffic rules among individuals will significantly help reducing the rate of car accidents. By increasing the car technical performance, vehicles safety and creating awareness on the same, we can definitely reduce the risk of car accidents and injuries. The purpose of this paper is to describe methods and practices that can improve car safety and reduce car accidents to save more passenger lives.Generally, there are various methods and practices that can be put in place to improve car safety and save many passengers from unne cessary accidents some of which include traffic rules and laws, engineering and traffic management among others (Bartley 14). The use of safety seat belt, airbags as well as routine car testing help in ensuring that vehicles provide a reasonable degree of car protection (Autotech 95 54). Arguably, improving passenger safety should be the first priority for every driver. The most effective way to guarantee passengers their safety is by being an attentive driver, that is, a good driver need to practice good driving habits because with these habits, they are more likely to avoid accidents. More so, they should ensure that all their safety systems are in dress and functional. Today, automobiles are properly designed and well equipped with advanced safety features that are very useful in protecting passengers from serious injuries or correct death in case of a car crash. It is always important to ensure that all these safety features are used correctly all the time. For instance, it i s

Topic about non-pofit and non-governmental organizations Essay

Topic about non-pofit and non-governmental organizations - Essay ExampleThe greatest altercate confronted by NPOs today is the emergence of financial shortages posed by regular government cutbacks resulting in funders who prefer supporting short-term projects rather than long-term activities. NPOs vastly rely on their volunteers for various tasks such as fundraising, performing office works and other tasks related with the NPOs. Besides, the increasing contestation among the NPOs have resulted in change magnitude funding and raised various difficulties in acquiring corporate support. It has been majorly influenced by this aspect that the small non-profit organizations have emerged as the prime sufferers of the intense organizational competition (Stowe & Barr, 2005). Consequently, many NPOs have tailored programs limited towards meeting the needs of funders, only which has increased the risk of mission drift among both large and small NPOs (Cheng & Mohamed, 2010). In the similar co ntext, the structure of NGOs may take several forms such as large or small, bureaucratic or flexible as well as it may be practiced in an informal or formal form. NGOs largely rely on its supporters and volunteers as well as on its staffs with the inclination of availing adequate manpower in order to satisfy the organizational objectives. Similar to NPOs, funds are undeniable by the NGOs as well to support their beneficent operations (Australian Council for International Development, 2010). It is in this context that the fundraising costs of NGOs at times are observed to be problematic by a certain extent. Correspondingly, the activities related to fundraising of NGOs may be affected by inter-organizational factors including organizational values, resources and other external factors such as restrictions posed by government laws and regulations. The common fundraising sources that are take by organizations include government grants, roadside collections, special events, membersh ip and online donations among others (Cheng & Mohamed, 2010). NPOs and NGOs are important elements of any society that aims to benefit the citizens to raise their living standard and assay cooperation from other to help them in performing their tasks efficiently. Nonetheless, it is not an easy task for the organizations to conduct activities conveniently as several factors act as hindrances in this context. For instance, in the current era, human sympathies are often considered as insufficient for reforming societies or eliminating social causes such as poverty, illiteracy, and other social causes or rescuing people during inherent calamities rendering greater significance monetary values and economic benefits. Therefore, funds, as well as skilled and hard working staffs are also required in order to efficiently meet the challenges faced by the citizens of various nations (Australian Council for International Development, 2010). The organizations often obtain grants provided by go vernments and donations collected from various people and members which in most instances prove to be inadequate in meeting the financial requirements. Furthermore, with the increase in the human population, the vulnerability of unfavorable circumstances also tends to be increased. In this course, the organizations need to expand their area of

Gay Men Born Gay Essay Example for Free

Gay Men Born Gay EssayGay men often claim that even as children they knew they were somehow contrary from other boys. Many say that sense even preceded puberty. And yet, though researchers have tried for decades to identify a biological basis for homosexuality which seems to be act in all human societies they have closely come up dry. Tantalizing clues have surfaced gays ar more wantly to be left-handed, for instance.But in the end, there has been little proof that biology is sexual destiny. Now new research offers evidence that there whitethorn indeed be a physiological basis for sexual preference. In a study of 41 brains taken from people who died before age 60, Simon LeVay, a biologist at San Diegos Salk Institute for biological Studies, found that wizard tiny region in the brain of homosexual men was more like that in women than that in heterosexual men. Sexuality is an burning(prenominal) part of who we are, notes LeVay, who is gay. And now we have a specific par t of the brain to look at and to study. That specific part is found at the front of the hypothalamus in an area of the brain that is known to help regulate male sexual behavior. Within this site, LeVay looked at four different groupings of cells, skillfully referred to as the interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus, or INAH for short. Other researchers had already reported that INAH 2 and 3 were larger in men than in women. LeVay hypothesized that one or both of them might set out with sexual orientation as well.Routine autopsies provided the tissue LeVay needed. All 19 homosexual men had died of AIDS. So had six of the 16 presumed heterosexual men and one of the six women. Although LeVay hoped to include lesbians in his study, he was unable to obtain brains from women identified as such. After careful examination of the brain samples, he found that the INAH-3 areas of most of the women and homosexual men were around the same size. In straight men this region was on aver age twice as large or about the size of a grain of sand.In the past, practically research on sexual orientation has focused on the fibre of interpersonal relationships in archaean childhood. Psychological literature is replete with material suggesting that male homosexuality is triggered by relationships with an overly protective mother or with a distant, even hostile father. here(predicate) is a whole other way of looking at the question, says LeVay. These children may already be determined to become homosexual or heterosexual. The development formulate that is laid out for them may be what causes them to develop certain troubled relationships with their parents. LeVays findings are certain to trigger a good deal of controversy. Many technical aspects of the study are subject to question, as the author concedes. He cannot be certain, for instance, that all the heterosexual men in the control group were heterosexual.And since the AIDS virus attacks the brain, the size differe nce could be an artifact of the disease. It is also possible that the difference actually has nothing to do with sexual orientation or that it is the result quite a than the cause of homosexuality. (2 of 3) My freshman biology students know enough to sink this study, declares Anne Fausto-Sterling, professor of medical science at Brown University. Others are more receptive to LeVays work. It makes sense, says Laura Allen, a neuroanatomist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Finding a difference in the INAH, which influences male sexual behavior, is what one would expect. The finding also has social implications. People who believe that sexual orientation is a choice help legitimize discrimination against homosexuals, says Melissa Hines, a UCLA psychologist. But if it is immutable, or partly so, whence that argues for legal protections. The new study is the foster to find some sort of difference between the hypothalami of gay and straight men. Last year a Dutch research team discovered that some other group of neurons in this tiny gland is larger in homosexual than in straight men. But some scientists believe this structure governs daily rhythms earlier than sexual behavior, so it is difficult to see any significance in the finding. Investigations of right- and left-handedness have also provided evidence of a physiological distinction.Sandra Witelson, a professor of psychiatry at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. , has found more left-handers among homosexual women in her studies than among heterosexual women. Others have made the same observation among men. Since hand preference may be determined in part by the influence of sex hormones on the brain during gestation, Witelson believes these early hormonal influences could also play a role in sexual orientation. Animal studies provide a good deal of evidence for a biological basis of sexual orientation.Through careful treatment of hormone levels in newborn rats, Roger Gorski, a neuroendocri nologist at UCLA, has been able to produce male rodents that demonstrate feminine behavior. Other researchers, working with mice, have noted that pistillate fetuses that develop between two male fetuses in a litter appear to be masculinized to some degree by their brothers testosterone. They look more like males than females, mature more slowly, have fewer reproductive cycles as adults and are less attractive to male mice. In many species, particularly among mammals, homosexual-like activity is an built-in part of social interaction.As any cattle rancher can attest, cows frequently mount each other. Apparently this ensures that all the females coordinate their reproductive cycles and then produce their calves at the same time. Female rhesus monkeys mount other females as a way of establishing a dominant rank in their phalanx hierarchy. (3 of 3) Researchers estimate that a third of American males experiment sexually with each other during their teen years, even though approximatel y 9 out of 10 eventually settle into relationships with girls.But both men and women may switch gears later on or be bisexual throughout life. There are some people in whom sexual orientation does not maintain itself, says June Reinisch, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at atomic number 49 University. Its not a matter of what they prefer its whom they fall in love with. She cites the example of a woman who fell in love with and was married to a man for 10 years, then at the age of 30 fell in love with a woman and spent 11 years in that relationship, and at 41 fell in love with a man.Clearly, even if sexual orientation does have a biological basis in the brain, it is not necessarily fixed. All of us believe that genetic and hormonal influences are involved in homosexuality, says Reinisch, but theres also an interaction with the environment. Over the years much research on homosexuality has been motivated by a desire to eradicate the beh avior rather than understand, let alone celebrate, diversity.

Prosperity of Australia Essay Example for Free

Prosperity of Australia EssayPresently thither are about 3. 6 million people who are funding on less than $A400 per week. Around two million Australians are living in poor conditions with only one earning person in a single family. well 700,000 children growing in families where none of both the parents have a full time job. Among the poorest only 20 per cent of population hold government service. The Democrats are debating on the issue of meagreness in Australia, with a concrete fact that over the past decades there has been a continuous economic growth in Australia despite of which the poor were worst effected and the prosperity of Australia has not reached the poor. This has been further supported by Government by reducing the incomes of many single parents and of handicapped people, which has contributed to the growth of higher poverty. Living in poverty is a struggle and affects families in physical and mental health. It can even be stated here that hearty families make a healthy society and societies make a state and healthy states make a healthy nation.The importance and significance of healthy families is much larger and plays a pivotal role in making a happier and prosperous nation. There are segregations about class living and direction such as middle class upper middle class, luxurious class and last, not least poor class which receive a minute attention in all aspects of health care, nutrition and in efforting to make both break offs meet which is a great function of governments to provide fare and shelter as a basic need for living.The pestilence of poverty is tiresome and requires a great amount of effort and hard work from the end of governments to create job opportunities, encouraging new small and big industries, encouraging basic education and providing some discounted facilities for further advancement in education, creating new and advanced career and job opportunities or self-employment schemes by providing small amount of fin ancial loans from banks to make a living for poor.As a matter of fact, how much ever so new jobs are created either in government, public or private sector, many people are still left not having a screw for job which means that public bodies cannot create jobs till the number of zero and it is for the unemployed to seek and find an area of source through which income can be generated on one side and on the other side, make a happy family.In this regard, computer technology offers a multiplex opportunities and with basic cognition of computer, unemployed can offer services of various kinds and can make a living by setting SOHO (Small office Home office) Such as this, there are many other professional methods to reduce poverty line and introduce better standards of living among poor people, viz., computer technical jobs, software product jobs, application jobs and other electronic communication jobs and even industrial and public sector labor jobs can be advantageous to create job o pportunities wherein with stripped-down education, jobs can be suitably found which would at least enable most of the family members to stay in jobs and endeavor to grow further for hike in salaries.However, these are not as easy as stated and it requires more efforts, job and employment schemes from Governments in the interest and prestige of nation.Otherwise, this would further deteriorate the standards of living of children, elderly and ageing couple, single parented families, young people and students and migrants. According to the survey conducted in the year 2001, there are 100,000 people who are homeless person and looking for home assistance. Poverty rate in cities is 10. 5 per cent and it is 12 per cent in other states and territories. It is also to be noted that 6 out of 10 poor Australians are living in capital cities which concludes a fact that both regional areas along with cities have to be every bit assisted in nurture of strategies to remove poverty.In March 2004, there were stringent efforts by Senate Community Affairs Committee has issued a report on poverty and financial hardship which stated that These key findings presented below serve to illustrate a compelling case that Australia will face a crisis of poverty and disadvantage in the coming years. They carry with them the implication that Australians are increasingly at risk of falling into poverty and indeed more so at one time than at anytime during the post-war era.What is most disturbing however is the common theme that while poverty is becoming more entrenched and more intractable, the Commonwealth is increasingly abrogating its responsibility to tackle this great indignity inflicted on the Australian people. The Senate Committee further recommended 95 strategies to be implemented in Australia. Some of the important recommendations are viz. , development of a strategy for providing national jobs, focusing on school education, work and training and how to advance in education witho ut deviating from work, research on skills, wages, where the shortage exists, the reasons for low-pay jobs, the problem of casual workers and job in auspices, a guaranteed work experience of six months for those who were without employment for a period of two years, provision of employment security and social security to casual workers by strengthening work environments and poverty proof wage system which has an economic measuring scale for adequate and satisfied living.

Recruiting Tanglewood Stores Essay Example for Free

Recruiting Tanglewood Stores EssayBased on the historical recruiting methods the Tanglewood stores have a couple of key issues associated with the hiring of natural employees in order to provide the customer service and run their organization in a profitable manner. The corporate executives need to establish an employment bell ringer message, and in like manner allow the regional managers to utilize the methods of recruitment and worry styles they believe work best in their geographic area (Inman, C. , Muller, C. 1996) First from a care prospective, there is not a unity of effort across the four regions as far as the hiring process is concerned. There are three alone(p) main lines of effort between the four locations. The managers of these regions should be given a certain amount of freedom to lead their divisions, focusing and standards should be provided from the corporate management of the organization (Inman, C. , Muller, C. 1996). This will admirer the organizatio n adjust to a changing technology while providing custom appeal to potential employees from each region. This will help develop an employment punctuate message with the public and encourage overall appeal to the company.This employment brand should be the focus of the corporate level managers. It is dependable to the organization, to give the regional managers the latitude to administer their hiring strategy the way they see fit. Although the cost of hiring an organization to locate and recruit talent for the region at flipper times the cost of three of the other methods of recruitment, if that is what it takes to hire individuals in that region the manager should be given the authority to utilize that method.The establishment of an employment brand message at the corporate level, which is especially important to the specialization of the Tanglewood stores in outdoor equipment, may reduce turnover among employees. The extensive turnover needs to be addressed at the regional echel on. Turnover is extremely expensive and must be minimized. The effective recruiting of motivated, knowledgeable individuals will minimize the expense of training and recruiting employees. The western regions method of utilizing referrals seems to fit the outdoor lifestyle business model the best.Finding employees that fit the mindset of the company result in the least(pre titulary) amount of turnover (Naeem Tariq, M. , Ramzan, M. , Riaz, A. 2013). Employees that are interested in and have a passion for the outdoors deally participate in these activities with like-minded individuals. Recruiting from this pool seems like a great source for employees. There is a risk that employees are seeking the reward from the company of 100 dollars. This risk is minimal given the nominal reward and the benefit of free advertising for the business.The Eastern and Northern Oregon region also have a fairly low cost method of recruiting through media. Depending on the type of media, this has a pote ntial to reach many potential applicants. It must be monitored for returns to ensure that money is not being indolent on unyielding sources. This could be accomplished with a simple survey on how the individual discovered the job or coding responses. This media can also target demographic groups that managers believe will make the best employees.The utilization of a staffing agency seems to be the least efficient method of recruiting employees that embrace the horticulture of the store and proved excellent customer service. If the employees are not willing to make a personal connection with customers based on a divided up passion this will affect profits (Puccinelli, N. M. et. al. 2013). Although the agency seeks individuals for the company, it is expensive and the agency is most likely not specialized to find applicants that fit the companys culture.Although this method may be useful to hire individuals with key KSAOs, it is probably not cost effective for hiring the floor associ ates. If the corporate level executives produce guidance and emphasize the employment brand message and the regional managers are given the freedom to administer their stores the way they see fit, the hiring process and retention would be greatly improved. An optimization of the hiring process will result in greater retention and increased profits (Naeem Tariq, M. , Ramzan, M. , Riaz, A. 2013).

The Interplay Of Structural Social Work Essay

The Interplay Of Structural Social Work EssaySocial work practice seeks to promote homo well-being and to redress human suffering and injustice..Such practice maintains a particular concern for those who argon most excluded from fond, economic or cultural processes and structures.Consequently, social work practice is a political activity and tensions between rights to care and control and self-determination are very much a professional concern(OConnor et al, 2006, p.1)The Brown family case study allow for be referred to throughout the essay in an attempt to explore and discuss the lived experiences of service users. With such an array of difficulties faced by the family, in order to be able to provide analysis and critique, some(prenominal) of these difficulties and their correlation within social work practice give not be explored. The essay will depart with examining the political background from Margaret Thatcher to the current Coalition government and emphasize their contin ued functionalist ideologies. It will also discuss sociological constructions of the family, meagerness, power, and managerialism.The prolific cases of the deaths of Victoria Climbi and Baby P led to such media scrutiny and a downward turn in public perception of social workers. As a result, this has led to changes in social work practice with tikeren and families.Due to the current austerity measures, social workers gatekeeping of resources and having to bear on stringent thresholds often result in limitations being put on families and creating what ..describes as a revolving door syndrome. The Brown case study refers to on that point being intermittent involvement from social services over several years, which supports the ghost of a revolving door syndrome. Although the case study is not explicit, I think it would be safe to assume that issues faced by the Brown family may gull suggested that they meet the section 47 threshold conform out in the Children Act which would ha ve triggered social work involvement with the family. However, if the involvement has been intermittent, this would suggest that once large risk had diminished the involvement with the family was stopped which suggest risk led practice was employed rather than a needs led (Axford, 2010).Munros recent brush up of child protection (2011) included 15 recommendations. There is not scope to discuss each recommendation but she urges the government to bury that there will inevitably be an element of uncertainty, to allow professionals to have a greater freedom to use their professional judgement and expertise, and to reduce bureaucracy. The response from government is to accept 9 out of the 15 recommendations (DfE, 2011)PovertyThe case study highlights that the Brown family are dependent on well-being benefits and that they find it difficult to manage their finances. Therefore, they are essentially living in poverty. Poverty can be described as a complex occurrence that can be caused b y a range of issues which can result in inadequate resources. It impacts on childhoods, life chances and imposes costs on societyChild poverty costs the UK at least(prenominal) 25 billion a year, (equivalent to 2% of GDP) including 17 billion that could accrue to the Exchequer if child poverty were eradicated. Public spending to deal with the fallout of child poverty is about 12 billion a year, about 60% of which goes on personal social services, school education and police and criminal justice. (Hirsch, 2008 Joseph Rowntree Foundation,p.5) bollix up national studies have suggested that child poverty is not a natural occurrence. Moreover it is a political occurrence, the product of decisions and actions made by the government and society. charge concerning a addiction culture has filtered through different political parties and have been utilised with renewed enthusiasm since the formation of the coalition government in 2010. These assertions of dependency create propaganda about the attitudes of the workless and they give the wrong impression of the previous efforts of the Labour government to tackle child poverty who focus was to direct increased public assistance payments towards those people who are working in low paid jobs. The coalition is currently reducing benefit payments to families in work. As a result of these cuts, many children will evidently be thrust back into child poverty ().A possible contention is that the coalition government argue that they seek to come upon out the symptoms of poverty, rather than the causes. However, their analyses of the causes are at best partial or incomplete. While in-work poverty is acknowledged, it is often buried beneath the rhetoric of welfare dependency (ESRC, 2011). The suggestion that previous methods to tackle child poverty have inevitably robbed people of their own responsibility and therefore led them to become dependent on the welfare state that simply hands out cash is absurd (Minujin Nandy, 2012) .Work is frequently referred to as the favoured route out of poverty. Although the government have introduced numerous policies to make work pay there are countless families that still do not earn enough money to attempt to lift their family out of poverty (Barnardos, 2009). More than half of all children currently living in poverty have a parent in paid work (DWP, 2009). The Brown family have both parents out of work, with Anne having never been in paid work and Craig struggling to find regular employment since leaving the Army 8 years ago. some(prenominal) parents have literacy difficulties and so require a complex package of support to enable them to improve their life chances of gaining employment that pays above the minimum wage in order for their family to no longer be living in poverty.According to the code of practice (HCPC, 2012) social workers are required toAs mentioned previously, successive modern Liberal governments uphold a functionalist ideology that frequently loc ates poverty in terms of personal responsibility and deficits.ManagerialismAs mentioned previously, services have changes over the gone 20 years and this can be explained by the emergence of a managerial approach to how services are being delivered. Intrinsically, managerialism is a basic set of ideas that transpired from the New Right criticisms of welfare and is founded on the notion that public services need to be managed in the same way as profit-making organisations (Harris Unwin, 2009). In the UK there has been a rise in managerialism which can often lead to weakening the role and autonomy of social work practice. In the pursuit of becoming responsible and impartial, managers are attempting to control or prescribe practice in increasing detail which inexorably leads to reducing the opportunity for practitioners to implement individual reasoning. As a result, this leads to policies that represent rules that can often be described as inept and insensitive for the service user . Therefore, the tussle between the managerial and the professional control in social work practice is often a contested issue (Munro, 2008). As managerialism takes more control, then a shift towards defensive practice develops which results in procedures that are insensitive to the needs of families. In essence, the professional role of a social worker can be progressively reduced to a bureaucrat with no possibility for expertise or personalised responsesIn addition, a managerial approach causes conflict, as it emphasises the need for targets that will assess performance and the deliverance of services (Brotherton et al, 20120). Furthermore, there is a correlation with an apparent distrust or autonomy of professionals. This has led to an upsurge in scrutiny by a manikin of inspection bodies such as Ofsted and this has been extremely significant in the area of child protection following the high-profile cases of the deaths of Victoria Climbi and Peter Connolly.

River Water Pollution At Langkawi Island Environmental Sciences Essay

River peeing contaminant At Langkawi Island Environmental Sciences EssayIncreasing deficit of piddle in developing countries has made river wet gauge evaluation a relevant issue in recent years (Ongley, 1998). The sur seem pee quality is a matter of serious concern today. Rivers due to their role in carrying off the municipal and industrial waste body of water and run-off from agricultural land in their vast drainage basins are among the closely vulnerable water bodies to defilement. The surface water quality in a component is largely determined both(prenominal) by the subjective processes (precipitation rate, weathering processes, and soil erosion) and the anthropogenic influences viz. urban, industrial and agricultural activities and increasing exploitation of water resources (Carpenter et al., 1998 and Jarvie et al., 1998). Pollution of surface water with toxic chemical substances and superfluous nutrients, resulting from storm water runoff, vadose zone leaching, an d groundwater discharges, has been an issue of worldwide surroundingsal concern. With an change magnituded to a lower placestanding of the importance of drinking water quality to public health and in the altogether water quality to aquatic flavor, there is a great need to assess surface water quality (Campbell et al., 1993).APHA (1985), state that the use of water increases with utilize population putting increasing strain in the water resources. In 1975, total global use of water was just under 4000 km3 per year, and this is expected to increase about 6000 km3 per year by the year 2000. Averaged on a global scaled, about 70% of this water is used in the agricultural welkin, 20% by industry, and 10% for domestic purposes. Nowadays, there acquire a problem in finding adequate supplies of freshwater to meet our needs and maintaining its quality. Eventhough water availability is non a problem on a global scale, it may be a problem in finding high quality of freshwater at tha t required place in the required quantity.In Malaysia, 97% of water resources came from river. River great deal be delimit as whatever natural stream of water that flows in a channel with defined banks. Malaysia is situated in among longitude vitamin C and 119 East and latitude 1 and 7 North covers a region on the subject of 329.733 km2 of land which include West Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak. The annual typical rain give-up the ghost is 3000mm that contributes to a projected annual water resource of about 900 one million million million m3 (UNEP, 2002 FAO, 2005). Those rainfalls are stored in river, lake or either new(prenominal) water storage as water resources. The major water demand comes from irrigation for agricultural purposes as surface as domestic and industry use (UNDP, 2005).Problem StatementAs the important channel of substance cycle in biosphere, a whole river eco-system should ingest the meshs of providing the food and water for living, industr y and agriculture, amusement, shipping and commerce. Over the past century, it befool been being seriously destroyed by various human activities including contaminant discharge, damming, set riverside, destroying vegetation in the riparian zone and etc., resulting in deterioration of water environment, degradation of biological communities and riverbed atrophying. Therefore, the restoration and maintenance of healthy river ecosystems have become important objective of river management (Norris and Thoms, 1999).The development in Malaysia has lead to various kinds of environmental problems. Human activities much(prenominal) as industrialization, aquaculture activities, and urbanization caused a lot of taint and damage the environment silently. According to the Department of Environment, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Malaysia, these activities can produce the anthropogenic pollutants and would be endangered the coastal environment (Chester and Stoner 1974 Ismail et al. 1993, 1995 Ismail and Idris 1996 legality and Singh 1991 Yap et al. 2002, 2003).The seriousness of heavy metals leads the marine environmental pollution to be recognized as a serious matter to human health concern. industrial and agricultural activities were reported to be the leading voltage source of the accumulation of pollutants in the aquatic environment including the sea (Freedman, 1989 Gmgm et al., 1994 Nimmo et al., 1998 Barlas, 1999 Tarra-Wahlberg et al., 2001 Akif et al., 2002 Jordao et al., 2002).The import of StudyLangkawi Island is one of the most attractive ecotourism spot in Malaysia with swell up diverse marine lives hence attracting thousands of phaetons every year. To support the increasing public figure of tourist visiting the Langkawi Island, more development were made along the shore line such as hotels, resorts, jetties, shopping mall, and marine recreational facilities. This extensive type of development contributes to the direct impact on the product ivity of the marine environment ecosystem and would cause pollution such as heavy metals pollution into the coastal and adjacent line of business (White, 1988).Langkawi is located in the northern west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, bordering the south of Thailand -off the coast of Kedah and is made up of 99 islands when the tide is high and 104 islands when the tide is low. The largest of the islands is Pulau Langkawi with an field of honor of about 478.5 km2. Research on the geological resources and landscapes of Langkawi Islands has revealed the great geotourism potential of the island system. Comprising the oldest rocks and the most complete Paleozoic Mesozoic sequence of sedimentary formations, the Langkawi rocks tell the story of the start out of the Malaysian Land. Diverse scientific records, fossil beds, geological structure and outstanding landforms further make Langkawi a living museum where visitors are able to directly give a potential natural world heritage site. Con servation of geosites and geotopes are absolutely necessary, in the form of geological park, geological monument, protected site and well-favoured landscape, to sustain its ecotourism activities (Ibrahim Komoo Kadderi Md Desa, 1989).Langkawi is one of the most beautiful islands group in Malaysia. Apart from having a distinct and unequalled morphological feature such as Machinchang ridge and karstic morphology in the limestone area, there are a lot of other interesting geological features. Among those are located in the already familiar tourist sites, such as Pantai Pasir Hitam, Telaga Tujuh, Pantai Pasir Tengkorak, Telaga Air Hangat, Gunung Raya and Tasik Dayang Bunting. The geological features of those sites are described and is proposed to be made available in the pamphlet forms or placed at sites as geoinformation boards to increase the tourist geological understanding when they visit those sites. Apart from that, there are also many another(prenominal) localities with inter esting, as well as unique or rare geological features which are not easily found in other parts of Malaysia. All these localities are of very high potential to be promoted as new geotourism spots. Since the Langkawi Islands is very rich in either already popular or potential geotourism localities, a number of geotourism carts is proposed. Each trail could be reach either by land or sea and may be visited in one day trip (Ibrahim Komoo Hamzah Mohamad, 1993).According to Ibrahim Komoo Kadderi Md Desa (1989), the rocks of Setul system are commonly found in the eastern part of Langkawi Island. Based on the change in strikes and dips of the bedding plane of the limestone, it is interpreted that the Setul Formation was folded regionally. Field observations indicate that the structures in the detrital members of the formation are more complicated than in the limestone. The limestone of this formation was faulted as well as folded. The well-known Kisap Thrust gaolbreak was interpreted to play very important role in controlling the rock distributions in this area, which separates the Lower Paleozoic from the Upper Paleozoic rocks.Therefore, these study should be done as well as many human activities, directly or indirectly, lead to modification of the river and its basin which produce changes in the aquatic environment of the river water. Increased access to improved water sources has been a powerful factor in improving health and also in attracting the tourists visiting the Langkawi Island. On the other hand, it also may maintain the geological resources and landscapes of Langkawi Islands.ObjectivesThe aims of this study areTo determine the concentration of selected ions for selected river water at Langkawi Island.To classify the water quality status at Langkawi Island flooringd on water quality index (WQI).To evaluated the origin of pollution sources at Langkawi Island.Scope of StudyThis study involves the determination of selected ions (Na, K, Mg, Ca and Cl) b y using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) at selected river in Langkawi Island. The research scope also extensive the classification of Langkawi river water status base on Water timber Index (WQI) Formula by Department of Environment.CHAPTER 2LITERATURE REVIEW2.1 The HydrologyWater is a vital element in human life and it is a renewable resource. According to Wan Ruslan (1994), water is essential for physiological existence, very much the same as every other living being does and for many other purposes such as agricultural, recreational, industrial, hydroelectric power, navigational, propagation of fish and other aquatic life, irrigation, etc.Generally, water quality means the standards of water trunk especially river for any beneficial uses. Water quality with a better index value indicates clean-cuter water luggage compartment. High water quality is commensurate for man and animals consumption compared to the low water quality. Water quality refers to the characteristics of a water supply that get out influence its suitability for a specific use, i.e. how well the water quality meets the needs of the consumer. Water quality status indicates the level of pollutant composition and thus relates to human activities (Anhar et al.1998 Mohd Kamil et al. 1997a 1997b). Water quality for various types of water body varies with input loads, flow rate and quantity of water (Mohd Kamil1991 Wan Nor Azmin et al.1997). River is one of the important water sources and is classified polluted when there are changes in their chemical and physical characteristics that make it unsuitable for any objective and function (Azizi et al. 1997). Pollution standards for each water body usually evaluated by quantity the value of selected water quality parameters. These parameters can be categorized as physical, chemical and biological.2.2 Water ScarcityWater has been dubbed the oil of the 21st century as its scarcity is more and more felt globally. Over the last 50 years, the worlds population had risen by more than two-and-a-half times to about 6.4 billion. At the same time, however, the demand for fresh water went up by four times (UNEP, 2002). The United Nations predicted that at this rate, up to 7 billion people in 60 countries may possibly face water scarcity by the year 2050. Without access to clean water, not only would public health suffer because of poor hygiene and sanitation, agricultural and industrial activities could also get disrupted.A report by UNEP (2002) also state that similar stresses have also been felt on the water resources in southeastern Asia. This is because economic development had generated greater demand for water from different sectors such as agriculture, industry and domestic users. The situation is likely to worsen in the future. As the regional population is expected to rise by an additional 250 million by 2025, per capita water will fall from 10,000 m3 to 6,700 m3. These trends pose several important questions that p olicy-makers would have to address.2.3 Water PollutionCommonly, water pollution is defined as physicochemical alteration in water that may gives effect to organisms (Chiras, 2001). These broadly take into story the variety of water sources including lakes, rivers, oceans, streams, and also groundwater. The sources of water pollution can be either natural (e. g. animal waste) or by human activities such as runoff of pesticides, herbicides, and feces from agricultural land (Lerner Lerner, 2009b).The majority of tropical islands have limited sources of freshwater, no surface water or streams and fully reliant on rainfall and groundwater recharge (Praveena et al., 2010). The inhabitants of these islands mostly depend on groundwater to meet their needs, particularly for drinking and tourism purposes. The demand for fresh water has been rising in reception to the increase of activities and development in tourism sector (Singh and Gupta, 1999 Aris et al., 2007).Numerous islands are expe riencing water anxiety at the current levels of groundwater extraction at an outstripping supply. The freshwater electron lens on islands may simply be overexploited or polluted and vulnerable to humour change, pressure of island resources and the related impacts to freshwater resources (Griggs and Peterson, 1993 Singh and Gupta, 1999 Climate Change, 2007).A report by EQR Malaysia in 2009 state that compared to 2008, there was a slight deterioration in river water quality. There was a reduction in a number of clean rivers compared with 2008. There were 306 clean rivers in 2009 as compared with 334 in 2008 while the number of slightly polluted rivers increased from 197 to 217. There was also an increased in the number of polluted rivers from 48 in 2008 to 54 in 2009. However, the quality of the marine environment with respect to coastal and estuarine areas was within normal variations compared with the Malaysian marine Water Quality Criteria and Standard (MWQCS). Figure 2.1 shows the trend of the river water quality for several years.Figure 2.1 River water quality trend (DOE, 2009)2.4 Water Pollution SourcesThe sources of water pollution can be categorized as point and non-point sources (DOE, 2009). Point sources include sewage treatment plants, manufacturing and agro-based industries, and animal farms. Non-point sources are mainly diffused sources such as agricultural activities and surface runoffs. EQR Malaysia 2009 by DOE state that in 2009, 20702 water pollution point sources were recorded. These comprise of manufacturing industries (976247.15%), sewage treatment plants (967646.74% inclusive of 736 profit Pump Stations), animal farms (7693.72%) and agro-based industries (4952.39%). Figure 2.2 shows the composition of water pollution sources by sector in 2009.Figure 2.2 Composition of water pollution sources by sector in 2009 (DOE, 2009).The decrease in the number of clean rivers were attributed to an increase in the number of polluting sources such as s ewage treatment plants, manufacturing industries, and palm oil mill around which contributed to high pollution loading. As in previous years, the major pollutants sight were signifier, NH3-N and SS. High BOD can be attributed to un enured or partially treated sewage and discharges from agro-based and manufacturing industries. The main sources of NH3-N were livestock farming and domestic sewage, whilst the sources of SS were from earthworks and land clearing activities (DOE, 2009).Freshwater resources in island currently have been increase in demand as it may simply be overexploited or polluted and vulnerable to mode change, pressure of island resources and the related impacts to freshwater resources (Griggs and Peterson, 1993 Singh and Gupta, 1999 Climate Change, 2007). The most significant and instantaneous consequences of climate change are increase in air temperature, increase in sea surface temperature, changes in rainfall (precipitation) patterns and more extreme weather co nditions (Tompkins et al., 2005). penetrable to climate change has become more frequent in various countries in the recent decade and Malaysia is not excluded from this phenomenon. Effects of climate change will alter the global hydrological cycle in terms of distribution and accessibility of regional water capital. A warmer climate with its increased climate variation will increase the risk of floods and droughts (Climate Change, 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1997).Changes in rainfall during rainy season reveal the groundwater recharge, as a sensitive function of the climatic factors, local geology, topography and land use (Dragoni and Sukhija, 2008). The islands complex and dynamic system will response dynamically in variable and complex ways to climate change (Watson et al., 1998). Most research on the possible impacts of climate change to the hydrologic cycle has been directed at forecasting the potential impacts to surface water, river discharge and quality. Nevertheless, fit in to Mokhtar et al. (2008), to protect valuable water resources, one must understand the natural evolution of water chemistry under natural water circulation processes in mixing with knowledge about the background of the study area. This is crucial for the evaluation and protection of water resources and in the assessment of water quality for creating threshold ions composition in natural water.2.5 Water Quality IndexWater quality index (WQI) act as a marker of water quality change and be able to indicate the effects of these changes on potential water use. The WQI serves as the basis for environmental assessment of a waterway in relative to pollution load categorization and designation of classes of valuable uses as provided under the National Water Quality Standards (NWQS) ( dodge 2.1 Table 2.2).The Water Quality Index (WQI) lives of six (6) parameters which are Dissolved type O (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), chemic Oxygen Demand (COD), Ammoniacal N itrogen (NH3-N), Suspended Solids (SS) and pH. Water classes and uses were shown in Table 2.3. hero sandwich INDEX WATER QUALITY INDEXINDEX RANGECLEANSLIGHTLY POLLUTEDPOLLUTEDBOD91 10080 900 79NH3-N92 10071 910 70SS76 10070 750 69WQI81 10060 800 59Table 2.1 Water Quality Classification Based On WQI (DOE, 2009)Table 2.2 DOE Water Quality Index Classification (DOE, 2009)PARAMETERUNITCLASSIII leashIVVNH3-Nmg/l0.1 0.30.3 0.90.9 2.72.7BODmg/l1 33 66 1212CODmg/l10 2525 5050 100100DOmg/l75 73 51 3pH7.06.0 7.05.0 6.05.0TSSmg/l25 5050 150150 300300WQI92.776.5 92.751.9 76.531.0 51.9Table 2.3 Water classes and Uses (DOE, 2009)CLASSUSESClass IConservation of natural environment.Water supply I lots no treatment necessary.Fishery I Very sensitive aquatic species.Class IIAWater supply II Conventional treatment required.Fishery II Sensitive aquatic species.Class IIBRecreational use with body contact.Class IIIWater supply III Extensive treatment required.Fishery III Common, of economic value and tolerant species livestock drinking.Class IVIrrigation.Class VNone of the above.2.6 Water Quality Index Parameter2.6.1 Dissolved Oxygen (DO)Oxygen is essential to all forms of aquatic life, including those organisms responsible for the self-purification processes in natural waters. Low levels of DO are indicative of greater pollution in the river. Pollution can cause DO concentration to drop below the necessary level to maintain healthy biota (Radojevic Bashkin, 2006). DO can also be expressed in terms of percentage saturation, and levels less than 80 per cent saturation in drinking water can usually be detected by consumers as a result of poor odour and taste (Chapman, 1996).According to Laenen and Dunnette (1997), DO is a good indicator of the overall ecological health of a river. Although other indicators also signify general river health, an adequate supply of oxygen is essential for animal life. For many species of fish, DO levels below 6 mg /L for any length if time can be lethal.2.6.2 Biochemical Oxygen demand (BOD)Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the mass of dissolved molecular oxygen which is needed by microorganisms for the oxidation and conversion of organic substances in a ideal (20C) of water under defined conditions and within a defined period of time (index n in days and hours) (Fresenius Schneider, 1988). Fresenius Schneider (1988) also state that standardized laboratory procedures are used to determine BOD by measuring the amount of oxygen consumed after incubating the sample in the dark at a specified temperature, which is usually 20C, for a specific period of time, usually five days. This gives rise to the commonly used term BOD5.BOD measurements are usually lower than COD measurements. Unpolluted water typically have BOD determine of 2 mg/L O2 or less, whereas those receiving wastewaters may have values up to 10 mg/L O2 or more, particularly weedy to the point of wastewater discharge. Raw sewage h as a BOD of about 600 mg/L O2, whereas treated sewage outflowings have BOD values ranging from 20 to 100 mg/L O2 depending on the level of treatment applied. Industrial wastes may have BOD values up to 25,000 mg/L O2 (Chapman, 1996).2.6.3 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is a measure of the oxygen equivalent of the organic matter in a water sample that is susceptible to oxidation by a strong chemical oxidant (e. g. dichromate). The COD is widely used as a measure of the susceptibility to oxidation of the organic and inorganic materials present in the water bodies and in the effluents from sewage and industrial plants. Correspondingly, it does not indicate the total organic carbon present since around organic compounds are not oxidized by the dichromate method whereas some inorganic compounds are oxidized. However, COD is a useful, rapidly measured, variable for many industrial wastes and has been in use for several decades (Chapman, 1996).2.6.4 Ammoniacal N itrogen (NH3-N)The presence of ammonium ions in water is connected to the process of the biochemical decomposition of protein substances contained in household and industrial sewage (Chan, 2002).Ammonium ion is in equilibrium with dissolved oxygen in any aqueous solution. All nitrogen that exists either as ion or in equilibrium with NH3 is considered to be ammonia-nitrogen. The relative value for NH3 varies from 0.1 to 5.0% of total sum of ammonium and ammonia at typical pH value of 6-8 and temperature between 5-30C (Radojevic Bashkin, 2006). According to report by DOE (2009), the main sources of NH3-N were livestock farming and domestic sewage.2.6.5 Suspended Solids (SS)Suspended solids are matter held in prison-breaking in the water or wastewater and retained by a filter (Chan, 2002). The type and concentration of suspended solids controls the turbidity and transparency of the water. Suspended solids consist of silt, clay, fine particles of organic and inorganic matter, soluble organic compounds, plankton and other microscopic organisms. Such particles differ in size from approximately 10nm in diameter to 0.1mm in diameter (Chapman, 1996).2.6.6 pHpH is important in natural waters and in water treatment. Aquatic organisms are sensitive to pH changes and require a pH of 6 to 9. The pH is an important variable in water quality assessment as it influences many biological and chemical processes within a water body and all processes associated with water supply and treatment. When measuring the effects of an effluent discharge, it can be used to assist determine the extent of the effluent plume in the water body.Generally, pH is a measure of the acid balance of a solution and is defined as the negative of the logarithm to the base 10 of hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14 (i.e. very acidic to very alkaline), with pH 7 representing a neutral condition. At any given temperature, pH (or the H+ activity) indicates the intensity of the aci dic or basic character of a solution and is controlled by the dissolved chemical compounds and biochemical processes in the solution. In unpolluted waters, pH is principally controlled by the balance between the carbon dioxide, carbonate and bicarbonate ions as well as other natural compounds (e. g. humic and fulvic acids). Unpolluted water usually gives the neutral pH value or slightly alkaline. The natural acid-base balance of a water body can be affected by industrial effluents and atmospheric deposition of acid-forming substances. Changes in pH can indicate the presence of certain effluents, particularly when unendingly measured and recorded, together with the conductivity of a water body. Variations in pH can be caused by the photosynthesis and respiration cycles of algae in eutrophic waters. The pH of most natural waters is between 6.0 to 8.5, although lower values can occur in dilute waters high in organic content, and higher values in eutrophic waters, groundwater brines an d salt lakes (Chapman, 1996 Jonnalagadda et al., 2001).2.7 Previous Study on River Water Quality StatusWater Quality Index (WQI) value are inconsistent based on the activity and the sources of the impurity. A report by Yusoff Haron (1999), the study of river water quality status of Ayer Hitam Forest Selangor showed that the upstream water quality was better than the downstream river water quality throughout the phase of sampling. The study shows clearly that as the river flows from uninterrupted (upstream) to the distressed environment (downstream), the physicochemical characteristics vary and thus degrades the water quality status. The value of water quality index based on the DOE-WQI was in the ranged 89.6 99.8. Thus indicate that the water quality status within the region fall under Class I and II. It reveals that there is a close relationship between the river water quality and the land use pattern within the vicinity of the sampling stations. Besides development activities, natural factors such as organic matter decomposition may also contribute and hence influence the river water quality in the study area.Refer to Suratman et al. (2005), river profile status in Ibai River Basin have value of WQI in between 65.0 85.4, which have been categorize under Class II with slightly polluted water status. The major activities that contribute to the decline of water quality are the contribution of domestic sewage from residential and from the small workshops. Table 2.4 below shows some previous study done by researchers on river water quality status at different location.Table 2.4 Previous study of WQI in MalaysiaStudy AreaWQI Value