us education

1.4 Board of directors

Chen Jin Yang (Mr)
Chief Executive Advisor
He is responsible for the overall strategic business management and business development of the company.
With prior knowledge in business strategies, he has the required knowledge, leadership skills and capabilities to lead the rest of the team.

Darren Sun Delai (Dr)
Chief Research and Development Officer
Dr. Sun holds a Ph.D. degree from The University of New South Wales, Australia. He has 15 years experience in the development of novel technologies for the environmental remediation, in particular industrial solid waste treatment and reuse with encapsulation/stabilization, recovery and separation technologies, and wastewater treatment with biological, chemical and physical technologies. He is a member of International Water Quality Association. He edited or co-edited a few conference proceedings, Journals, and authored or co-authored more than 100 scientific publications.
His research interest are:
Multifunctional TiO2 nanofiber/tube membrane
Membrane Technology for Water and Wastewater Treatment
Photocatalytic Oxidation Technology for Water Purification
Membrane Bioreactor
Industrial and Hazardous Waste Treatment and Management

Guo Zi Ming (Mr)
Chief Financial Officer
He is responsible for the companys finance and projections, administrative functions of the organisation, accounting and taxation matters. He will ensure that all Board decisions are followed.

Steve, Wah (Mr)
Chief Marketing and Human Resource Officer
He is responsible for the sales and marketing of our product and services. He will also take charge of recruitment, staffing needs, retention and training.
He was previously a director of an IT multimedia company, SMS2All Pte Ltd, steering the marketing and business development department of the company and had effectively achieved a net margin growth of 300% in 2 years. He is also the co-founder and marketing director of the Hive Backpackers Hostel, a successful venture that achieved breakeven in 6 months of operation through strategic diversification.
He holds an Honours Degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a minor in business administration from Nanyang Technological University.

Lieutenant Colonel (NS) Lim Kwang Keat (Mr)
Manager, Volunteer Department
Red Cross, Singapore
Chief Logistics Officer
Mainly involved in logistics matters, he was previously the Head of Medical Logistics in the SAF Medical Corps. He has supervised a team of people, ensuring that tasks are completed with quality standards, time and constraints and with budget requirements.
He is presently the manager of the Volunteer Department of the Red Cross, Singapore. He provides invaluable support and advice to many students from various uniform groups such as Red cross and St John Ambulance Brigade. He has also handled various humanitarian projects and has a vast network with many disaster relief organisations worldwide.

Lieutenant Colonel Dr. John Boscow (Dr.)
HQ SAF Medical Corps
Independent Director, Advisor
A professional, qualified doctor of the HQ SAF Medical Corps, he has attended and presented in various military medical conferences, both local and overseas. He is presently working as a safety officer in SAF Military Training Institute. He is a great asset to our research team.
He holds a degree in medicine from the National University of Singapore.

Lieutenant Colonel (NS) Chang Meng Tat (Mr)
HQ SAF Medical Corps
Independent Director, Advisor
He has served as a senior career military officer with 27 years of leadership, management and trainer experience. Having worked as the formation safety officer in HQ SAF Medical Corps and Head of the army Safety Prevention Branch, he is well versed about the safety issues and standards regarding potable water. Moreover, as the Commander of the Commando Training centre and Wing Commander of the Officer Cadet School previously, he has been through various trainings in Brunei, US and Taiwan, and therefore he is well aware about the water needs of a soldier. His strong network and contacts with his US counterparts will make it easier for Qatera to introduce our product to the US army.
He holds a degree in Business Administration from Brock University, Canada.


2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

2.1 Constituents of Natural Water
Natural water contains dissolved or suspended as well as dissolved substances. The quality of water is dependent upon the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of these substances.

The constituents used to identify physical characteristic of water are:
Solids: suspended and dissolved solids are distinguished by passing the water sample through a glass fibre filter. Total suspended solids (TSS) are solids retained on top of the filter while that passing through is called total dissolved solids (TDS).
Turbidity: caused by colloidal impurities which interfere with the passage of light through the water as they tend to scatter and absorb light rays
Colour/taste/odour: colour is caused by dissolved or suspended colloidal particles primarily from decaying leaves and microscopic plants. Tastes and odours are caused by the presence of decomposed organic matter and volatile chemicals.

Micro-organisms are commonly present in surface water but are usually absent from groundwater because of the filtering action of the aquifer. The most common micro-organisms are bacteria, algae, protozoa and viruses.

Bacteria: extremely small size, ranging from 1 to 4 microns. Disease causing bacteria are termed pathogenic bacteria.
Algae: single celled plants which could reproduce rapidly in streams and lakes when conditions are right. They can cause bad taste and odour problems.
Protozoa: single cell microscopic animals that feed on solid organic particles, bacteria and algae.
Viruses: obligate parasites that infect the tissues of bacteria, plants and animals including humans.

Water is evaluated for quality in terms of physical, chemical and biological properties. Water quality requirements are established according to its intended use. Water quality standards are usually established by regulatory agencies (eg. WHO, PUB) to define the limiting levels for various constituents that can be tolerated consistent with the intended uses.

The objective of water treatment is to remove particles and harmful micro-organisms or chemicals so that it is safe for human consumption. Water that can be consumed in any desired amount without concern for adverse health effects is termed as potable water. Secondary standards for drinking water are usually for aesthetics reasons. Although not a health hazard itself, excessive colour and odour in water will affect its desirability. One example would be iron and manganese in water which leads to coloured and bitter-tasting water.

During an emergency event, clean water sources could be destroyed. What is required then is a temporary but instant measure of clean water production. It should also be potable, small in size and maintenance free while able to provide substantial amount of clean water for consumption.

2.2 Pain Points
2.2.1 Current ways of water purification
During a disaster and in camps, when no clean sources of water are immediately available, WHO requirement states that chlorine contained purification tablets has to be used for water purification to obtain potable water. One tablet can be used to purify 25 litres of water. During the purification process, suspended solids and bacteria can be removed.

However, there are many problems. Firstly, puritabs is unable to remove TDS, as well as organic materials. The chlorine contained within would also form chlorine complexes with the organic matter, some of which are potentially carcinogenic. The end product of purification also retains a horrible taste because of the chlorine, and remains heavily coloured due to presence of the DSS. A long duration of purification of around 3 to 5 hours is also required.

2.2.2 Problems in Water Purification
The tsunamis in 26th December 2004 had caused widespread devastation to coastal regions in the Asian region. More than 150,000 lives has perished, and many more were put in danger as millions of people were displaced without shelter, sanitation or clean water. Tons of bottled water was being flown into the affected areas to provide immediate relief to disaster victims. However, the heavy logistics and costs involved often made immediate help impossible.

With ongoing rapid industrialisation especially in countries such as India, China and ASEAN over the past two decades the demand for potable water has increased tremendously in terms of quantity and quality. The scarcity of such a precious resource has increased the need for water reclamation, for the preservation and recovery of potable water. Today, over 1.5 billion people live without drinking able water supply.

Drinking from already contaminated water supplies from damaged water treatment facilities or saltwater infiltrated clean water source can cause health problems. Water borne diseases caused by bacteria and viruses could double the death toll, especially amongst children.

What is required is a temporary measure of clean water production, a way of making drinkable water immediately for masses at low cost over a sustained period of time. The product should be incorporated filtration processes and coupled with activated carbon absorption and ion-exchange so as to produce clean water free from particulate and biological contaminants. It should also be potable, small in size and maintenance free while able to provide substantial amount of clean water for consumption.


3 OUR PRODUCT PURIPEN the efficient and portable way of water purification
PuriPen, the primary product of Qatera, provides an efficient and powerful way to produce crystal clear, tasteless drinking water from a contaminated source. One just need to insert the pen into a water source, suck from the drinking spout and clean water would reach his mouth immediately.

Puripen the integrated approach of physical and chemical purification
With 5 steps involved, PuriPen eliminates all worries of consumers over health, cleanliness and taste. Very easy operations eliminate the need of people with technical skills.

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