The Crown

Colours can significantly impact our emotions, thoughts, and even physical responses. The colours in the form of dyes are used in many industries such as textile, pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, paint, etc. About 10% of the dyes used are discharged as wastewater to the environment, leading to water pollution, environmental issues and climate change, as well as affecting the human body.

“BioFILTER: Dye Adsorption Towards Better Water Quality and Sustainability” was a project led by Associate Professor Dr Zunaida Zakaria and two researchers from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis. The team used a BioFILTER that contains highly porous activated carbon from rice husk ash and is embedded in sodium alginate to demonstrate the relationship between art and science through the adsorption of dyes by BioFILTER in wastewater towards a better water quality and sustainability.

Upon adding the BioFILTER, the colour patterns were created and diffused into the BioFILTER, changing the colour of the dye from bright blue to colourless. The dye adsorption moment was mesmerised and captured using the portable Dino-lite digital microscope. Colour patterns could be interpreted from visual to quantitative results through dye adsorption. Ultimately the team realised that art and science are closely related, where creativity involves imagination, and imagination is visualisation.