CLEANING UP
A Malaysian expert assists factories in wastewater disposal in East China. Liu Xiangrui reports.
Show Kuan Yeow had been a professor at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore for a long time before he joined a Chinese wastewater-treatment company as a researcher a few years ago.
The 55-year-old Malaysian of Chinese origin has been involved in the biological treatment of industrial sludge for years.
His research on the use of bacteria to treat sewage has resulted in many academic papers and books that have won him honors, including Singapore’s National Technology Awards in 2003.
Show was a visiting professor at Fudan University in Shanghai in 2014, when his Chinese friends Yan Yuegen and Ling Ming invited him to visit their company in Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province.
There he learned that their company, Puritek, which specializes in water treatment, had experienced much growth in 10 years.
Show, who found his own research field perfectly matching the company’s demands, soon decided to accept their invitation to join and lead its research team.
“The way to give technology vitality is to apply it and solve real problems. I was happy that there was a chance to do so, and I had confidence in my technology,” Show says.
He had learned about China’s wastewater treatment and was aware of the government’s commitment to environmental protection in recent years.
Since then, Show has worked as the deputy general manager of Zhejiang Juneng Co Ltd — a subsidiary of Puritek — and is responsible for its research and development, and technological application in projects.
Show is also involved in training a technical team of about 50 people.
“We are still advancing our technologies because we hope we can keep ahead of others,” he says.
Wastewater treatment is getting more complicated as industries develop, he adds.
Ling, general manager of the subsidiary, says: “Show is known in the field of environmental engineering in Asia. As an application-oriented environmental company, we wanted to get his help to make breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies.”
It (pollution) is a problem that must be solved, and there is no shortcut.”
Show Kuan Yeow,
Show has contributed to Puritek’s overall growth by promoting innovation and has helped the company’s researchers to attend international conferences, Ling says.
Compared with traditional means of using chemicals, Show has adopted more economical and environmentally friendly biochemical methods, including the use of anaerobic bacteria, to treat industrial wastewater, especially highstrength and recalcitrant types.
Soon after he joined the company, he led the development of the technology to treat ester wastewater — a project for a Zhejiang-based paint factory.
The technology not only enhanced the efficiency of waste treatment but also lowered the cost from 3,500 yuan ($530) to 500 yuan to treat a ton of wastewater.
In the past few years, the company has successfully completed more than 60 application projects, helping factories and industrial parks in southeastern China to treat wastewater.
Show says he also faces some challenges, including difficulty in finding high-level researchers who have the right knowledge background for the company.
Meanwhile, as industries develop fast, he always has to deal with new types of wastewater.
In 2015, Show was given the West Lake Friendship Award, Zhejiang government’s highest honor for foreigners who have contributed to the province’s development.
A year earlier, he had also become a foreign expert under the Thousand Talents Program, a recruitment program initiated in 2011 by the central government to attract top international professionals with favorable policies and funding.
Show says the country has made efforts in recent years to better manage industrial waste and protect the environment.
The government has introduced stricter rules for factories to reduce pollution. In addition, there are favorable policies and subsidies by the government to support industries related to environmental protection that have benefitted his company, too, he adds.
“It (pollution) is a problem that must be solved, and there is no shortcut,” Show says.
In China, Show spends most of his time in Tongxiang, a relatively small and slowpaced city. He finds his life there comfortable, which allows him to focus more on research.
“I manage a balance between work and leisure,” says Show, who enjoys movies and sports like swimming in his free time.
He speaks fluent Chinese and finds no barrier in communicating with the local people. His 26-year-old son, who studied mathematics at the University of Cambridge and is keen on the internet industry, has also moved to Tongxiang for work.
The city started to host the annual World Internet Conference in 2014.
As his work grows and the company expands its businesses to other parts of the country, Show says he is optimistic about the industry’s future.
“I enjoy my current work and life and will continue it in the next few years.”