Tentang kami
Environmental Forensics Research Centre (ENFORCE) was established on the 1st of September 2008, under the Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia with the aim of becoming a relevant reference centre in environmental pollution. The establishment of ENFORCE is in line with the governments aim to highlight issues on environmental conservation. On top of that, the goals of this centre would support UPMs aspiration to become a university of international repute. Environmental forensics uniquely covers all aspects of pollution and contamination of air, water, soil and biota. Research in this field deals with the identification of sources, distribution and transport pathways of pollutants by outlining techniques for identifying the source of a contaminant release, when the release occurred and the extent of human exposure. These pollutants tend to accumulate in the environment forming potentially toxic contaminants that can threaten the health of both humans and the environment The benefits of having sound environmental forensic research are immense particularly because the sources, distributions and transport pathway of emerging contaminants on environmental concerns can be identified at an early stages.The finger printing technique applied by ENFORCE could enable scientists to identify culprits who polluted the environment. ENFORCE hopes to create a strategic and smart approach to safeguard the environment from toxic pollution. Thus, apart from conducting research that gives an impact to the global community, costly potential environmental disasters in the short and long terms can be avoided.
Key Research Areas
ENFORCE is engaged to undertake research activities in the following key areas:-
- Pollution of heavy metals
- Antibiotics in the environment
- Hydrochemical metal transport
- Chemometrics and Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
- Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
- Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
- Linear Alkylbenzenes (LABs)
- Organic Tin Compounds (OTs)
- Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals
- Histophatological Analysis
- Plant and Animal Morphology and Anatomical Evident
- Environmental Law and Policy
- Environmental Governance
As of October 2014, the Institute has 13 staff, 9 of whom are senior researchers, 1 Research Officers, 1, assistant science officer, 2 General staff and more than 100 master/Ph.D students
Strengths and Achievements
- ENFORCE is a focal point to the government and industries with the specific aim to become a distinguished reference centre in studies on pollutions and their potential risks to the environment.
- ENFORCE has created several linkages locally and internationally. For instance, ENFORCE has been appointed as an
Education and Research Base (E&R Base) for the Field-Oriented Leaders in Environmental Sectors in Asia and Africa (FOLENS) program, based in Japan. Under this program, senior professors, researchers and graduate students from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan may visit UPM and do research collaborations with our researchers.
- Research programs and activities at ENFORCE are supported by various sources of funding internationally and locally. The labs are well equipped with several high-end facilities such as LC-ICP-MS, HPLC and GC-MS.
- With the multi-disciplinary approach, research programs carried out by ENFORCE may leapfrog the scientific
achievement for the country and the society at large.
Reseach achievements:-
> H-index = 27
>No. of citations = 1600
>No. of papers = 267
>Average of H-Index (6 key researchers) = 8