MDB 3063 ENGINEERING TEAM PROJECT

MAY 2018 SEMESTER

ORGANIC MOSQUITO REPELLENT

PROJECT REPORT

Group No. Group 14

Gurpreet Kaur Randhawa 24147

Muhamad Afiq Firdaus B Abd Rahman 24140

Amir Izzat Bin Sendijins 24189

Group
Members Wan Rosazila Izzaty Binti Wan Roslan 22169

Muhammad Fawwaz Bin Mohd Zulkifli 24185

Ikhwan Hasif bin Rafiz
24153
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

NO CONTENTS PAGE NUMBER

1.0 SUMMARY 3
2.0 INTRODUCTION
2.1 • Background of project/ Problem Statement 4
2.2 • Objective 5
2.3 • Literature Review 6-12
3.0 PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS
3.1 • Application of Design Thinking 13-15
3.2 • Approach to Solutions/Methodology 16
3.3 • Fundamental Engineering Analysis 17-18
4.0 RESULTS
4.1 • Technical Specification and engineering drawing 19-23
4.2 • Project Output 24-26
4.3 • Discussion on result 27-33
4.4 • Conclusion 34
4.5 • Recommendations 34

5.0 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

5.1 • Progress monitoring (Gantt Chart) 35
5.2 • Task Allocation 36
6.0 APPENDICES 38-40
7.0 REFERENCES 41-42

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1.0 SUMMARY

In this project, we are basically creating an essential oil based-organic mosquito

repellent looking into few factors and taking them into considerations. Our ingredient
here is catnip leaves, ethanol as an ideal solvent and extra virgin coconut oil as a
base. Research has shown that the chemical in catnip, Nepetalactone, has shown
effectiveness in repelling mosquitoes. Hence, to extract the nepetalactone, a certain
amount of catnip leaves was mixed with measured amount of ethanol and immersed
into the ultrasonic bath for a period of three hours. Then, the sample and solvent were
separated using filter papers, and next to obtain the catnip oil, the solvent is pass
through the rotary evaporator. Moving on, our product was formulated on a basis of
10% composition of catnip oil and 90% of extra virgin coconut oil. Prior to that, the
product was tested on three individuals for the duration of two days (same individual
with and without product) and (different individuals with product). As a result, the
product was proved to be effective and no side irritation were observed. Looking into
the economical and marketing value, we considered to store the product into a plastic
bottle spray to ensure the price of the product in total is reasonable and affordable. In
the nutshell, organic mosquito repellent is not least effective than an alcohol-based
mosquito repellent.

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2.0 INTRODUCTION

2.1 Background of project/ problem statement

Mosquitoes are among the most disturbing blood sucking insects afflicting
human beings. Several mosquito species belonging to genera Anopheles, Culex and
Aedes are vectors for the pathogens of various diseases like Dengue fever, Malaria,
Yellow fever, Japanese Encephalitis and several other infections. Mosquitoes alone
transmit diseases to more than 700 million people and over one million deaths are
reported annually across the globe. Malaysia overwhelmed by dengue cases, peak
outbreak in 2015. A study done by the US National Library of Medicine National
Institutes of Health conducted in 2013 on dengue-related mortality shows the result of
about 43 347 cases based on Malaysian National Dengue Registry. Our problem
statement here is the alarming rate of the diseases spread by the species of
mosquitoes and also the negative effects on environment that may cause by
conventional mosquito repellents. Knowing that aerosol sprays deplete the ozone
layer, and contributing to global warming, people were forced to buy it because there
are not many other alternative ways to prevent the mosquito bites. People are usually
prone to mosquito bites due to a combination of scent, light, heat, and humidity.
Besides, different species of mosquitoes like the ones that carry malaria prefer
bacteria and sweat. Others are attracted to carbon dioxide and certain hand odour.

So, we as a team came up with solution to produce an organic mosquito

repellent which not only safe for different types of skin but also can prevent our human
body to be a target of the mosquitos. A mosquito repellent doesn't actually kill
mosquitoes. Repellents work by making people less attractive to mosquitoes, so
they're less likely to bite us. Hence, by creating this product, we are targeting people
from different age group to use it and for parents to use it on their infants. Our main
ingredient here is the catnip leaves and ethanol as a solvent. The reason we are using
catnip leaves have special natural ability to repel mosquitos. The effectiveness of it as
mosquito repellent has even been tested by some researchers. The result is catnip is
proven to be the most effective one in repelling mosquitos compared to any other
natural mosquito repellent plants. Furthermore, the effectiveness is also proven better

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than DEET, which is none other but a chemical substance often used as ingredient of
factory-made mosquito repellent products. This fact makes catnip even better as a
choice since it is natural, which means there is a very big chance for it not to cause
any harmful side effect to us. Using it for a quite long time to repel the insects is totally
fine to do too.

2.2 Objectives

In this project, we aimed to achieve the following objectives;

1. Provide an alternative solution to repelling mosquitoes or any other disease-

carrying vectors

2. Provide a repellent that has NO negative effects on the environment

3. Provide an effective and long-lasting repellent for active travellers and hikers,
as well as the general public

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2.3 Literature Review

The overall goal of this literature review was to establish significance and
relevance of our project topic to the current issue in Malaysia which is the widespread
cases of dengue fever. Since most of the South-eastern countries in the Asia region
have tropical and humid climates consisting of regular rainfall, it is no surprise that
these countries are the ones overwhelmed with hundreds and thousands of dengue
cases on a yearly basis. Studies have shown that frequent rainfall contributes to the
number of cases of dengue infection since it creates breeding sites for the Aedes
aegypti, which is the most common vector that is carrying and transmitting the dengue
virus (Li, Lim, Han, & Fang, 1985).

Figure 2.3.1: The number of reported cases and deaths over recent years

In Malaysia alone, the increase of dengue cases has been explosive

throughout the past decade or so; the lowest being in 2011 with 19,884 reported cases
and the highest in 2015 with a staggering 120,836 cases being reported (Malaysia
Post, 2018). Although the ratio of the number of deaths to the number of reported
cases is 0.003 : 1 might seem insignificant, it is the complete opposite. The lowest
number of recorded deaths as a result of dengue infection is 36 in the year 2011, while
recent years have seen the initial number multiply almost ten times greater. The
highest number of deaths recorded was 336 which was in 2015, while in 2016 the
recorded number was 231. More recently, the annual report of 2017 showed that 171
cases proved fatal from a total of 82,840 dengue fever cases (Bernama, 2017).

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Although we can see a slight decrease in the deaths trends as the years go by, it is
still considered a large amount. Furthermore, studies have shown that although
urbanization is on the rise and construction of cities and urban areas are increasing,
the vector carrying Aedes mosquitoes are adapting to survival and thriving in both
urban and suburban areas (Chen, et al., 2006).

In the process of developing our product, we needed to understand the

mechanism of mosquitoes and the contributing factors to getting bitten by them. Since
they are nocturnal creatures, their metabolism starts at either dusk or dawn which is
the time when they start to appear in numbers and become active. However, mosquito
bites only come from the female mosquitoes as they require the protein in our blood
to develop the eggs that they carry to continue breeding. While they are consuming
the victim’s blood, they will inject anti-coagulant enzymes which allows the blood to
flow for a longer duration of time, enabling them to maximise the intake of the host’s
blood. Mosquitoes rely heavily on three senses: sight, smell and movement (Orkin,
n.d.).

Figure 2.3.2: Illustration of how dengue virus is transmitted to the victim’s body via
dengue-carrying vectors

The Aedes aegypti is mostly attracted to the scent that is released from a
human’s perspiration process. During perspiration, volumes of carbon dioxide (CO 2)

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and lactic acid is released which gives off a certain odour that triggers the sensory
mechanism of the mosquitoes. Their strongest sensory organ is their antennae which
includes odour receptors that help them track down their prey.

Figure 2.3.3: A close-up look at the Aedes Aegyptus’s sensory organs

Mosquitoes have a very unique mechanism for their vision, they rely mostly on
the heat given off of their potential prey since their compound eyes located on each
side of their head consist of hundreds of small lenses called ommatidia. The array of
ommatidia allows for a wide field of vision from many directions all at once. This helps
them in spotting a host since they rely on the host’s movements in locating and locking
in their target. Since their vision is made up of a colour spectrum, they will naturally be
attracted to dark colours which contrasts with their field of vision. The mosquito’s vision
is relatively poor in comparison to a human’s sight; they will not get a clear image of
objects which is why the scent and heat sensors are vital to them.

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 Figure 2.3.4: The three different stages (varying with distance) that mosquitoes go
through in identifying potential host

The figure shows that mosquitoes are able to pick up a host’s scent emitted via
CO2 from about 35 to 170 feet away, which is quite impressive for a creature its size.
The mosquito then flies closer and will pick up the movement of the host once it
reaches within the range of 15 to 50 feet away. Lastly, once it is in close proximities
(< 4 feet) it will sense the host’s body heat and proceed to bite.

From this part of the literature review, we were able to narrow down our
product and what we are trying to achieve. Since we know that the starting point of the
mosquito’s hunting down starts from the attractiveness of the CO2 emitted by the host,
we knew that we needed to come up with something that is able to block or reduce
the scent to a minimum.

In the next part of the literature review, we took a look at conventional

mosquito repelling products, its effectiveness and the side-effects that it brings to the
environment and the people around the vicinity when it is used. One important thing
to note is the myth that stronger repellent will result in fewer number of mosquitoes.
This is a falsehood as the strength of the concentration will only result in a more potent
repellent rather than longer duration of protection. In addition to that, conventional
mosquito sprays will only kill the mosquitoes present in the area at the time of use.

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What this means is that once the spray has been applied for let’s say an hour or two,
mosquitoes will then return and hunt for hosts again. Considering the side effect that
the spray brings to the environment and the surrounding people, it makes little sense
to constantly re-spraying over 1-hour intervals. So, we concluded that we had to come
up with a product that has long duration of effectiveness, but only need to be applied
once.

Aerosol sprays are mainly affiliated with the damage that it causes to the
environment. According to a research by National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) in collaboration with the University of Virginia, the weather
pattern is affected by widespread use of aerosol sprays; formation of clouds prior to a
rainfall is disturbed by it. In addition to that, the aerosol content also reacts with present
chemicals in the air which consequently depletes the Earth’s ozone layer and
contributes to global warming. In terms of its effect to human health, aerosol sprays
are the cause of 7 million premature deaths worldwide. Apart from that, chemicals
contained in an aerosol spray may also cause allergic skin reactions, asthma and
breathing difficulties (Alexandra, 2018). As a matter of fact, we conducted an online
survey and a total of 58 out of 114 respondents stated the discomfort or health
problems they encounter when using conventional sprays, which is shown in the figure
below. In addition to that, aerosol sprays are highly flammable and empty aerosol
spray cans are considered as a hazardous waste in the United States.

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 Figure 2.3.5: Some of the health problems or discomfort encountered by
conventional spray users from the online survey conducted

Apart from the aerosol sprays, DEET products are another popular form of
mosquito repellent. DEET can be found as an active ingredient in a lot of repellents in
the form of a variety of liquids such as lotions, sprays, etc. The mechanism of DEET
is such that the active ingredient makes it very hard for virus carrying vectors such as
mosquitoes and ticks to smell the hosts (United States Environmental Protection
Agency, 2017). Although it works in blocking the vector’s sense of smell, research
conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse titled Inhalants states that 15% of
DEET ingredients are absorbed into the consumer’s bloodstream which will result in
reproductive disturbances, as well as disturbing the central nervous system which will
result in disorders such as seizures and muscle spasms. In addition to that, like the
conventional aerosol repellents, it has a short duration of effectiveness and needs to
be reapplied constantly.

From this part of the literature review, we already had a rough idea of what
our products needed to have in order to be a better solution to the ones that are already
in the market. It needed to be environmentally friendly, as well as chemical-free in

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order to avoid discomforts and health problems upon usage. This was the process in
which we identified the issue that is of serious concern in the society and the research
on other readily available solutions’ side-effects and weaknesses allowed us to shape
our product in order for it to be a more efficient problem solver.

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3.0 PROCEDURE AND ANALYSIS

3.1 Application of Design Thinking

Design thinking offers a structured framework for understanding and pursuing

innovation in ways that contribute to organic growth and add real value to the
customers. The design thinking cycle involves observation to discover unmet needs
for our product within the context and constraints of a particular situation, framing the
opportunity and scope of innovation, generating creative ideas, testing and refining
solutions. The description of application design thinking of our mosquito repellent
product is below:

Empathize:

1) People want to live with healthy life style & avoid any harmful disease especially
that can cause to death.
2) Most of the product that people use to repel the mosquito during outdoor
activities such as hiking, travel and jungle tracking are not efficient and only
effective for the short period. Moreover, the product that they use produce
negative effect to the environment and harmful to themselves as well when the
product interacts with their body.
3) The people who have middle income cannot affordable to buy a product that
can effectively repel the mosquito and do not harm the environment due to the
product is very expensive.
4) Majority of the product repellent mosquito produce unpleasant chemical smell
which make the people feel uncomfortable when using the product.

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Define:

1) Create the product that can repel types of dangerous mosquito such as
Anopheles, Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus. These mosquitos can
transmit very dangerous disease and virus such as dengue fever and malaria
disease.
2) Create the product that can use during outdoor activities with long effectiveness
period and do not harmful with the environment and human body.
3) Create the product with affordable prizes
4) Ensure the smell of the product very pleasant to the people who use it.

Ideate:

1) Design the product using Nepeta Cataria as known as catnip that act as main
ingredient of the product. Nepeta Cataria contain the essential oil which is
nepetalactone that have insect repellent activity that give ten times effectives
to repel mosquitos compare to N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) which the
compound used in most commercial insect repellents (Society, 2001).
2) Moreover, nepetalactone can also repel the biting insect and noxious insect
such as ants, bees, black flies, chiggers, fleas, stable flies, ticks, wasps,
termites, house flies, cockroaches, lice, wood lice, flour and bean beetles, dust
mites, moths, silver-fish, and weevils (Mark, Grove, David, & Wilmington, 2015).
3) Design the oil-based spray product for longer lasting of effectiveness compare
to alcohol-based spray product. The essential oil of nepetalactone does not
harmful to the environment as it come from organic plant. Use coconut virgin oil
as a base product because it has coconut fragrance smells and also healing
properties to prevent the skin from irritate (Vasudevan, 2011)
4) Combination of nepetalactone essential oil and coconut virgin oil will produce
screwpine (pandan) fragrance to reduce the unpleasant smells of the product.
5) Use air spray bottle with black covered to maintain the anti-oxidant properties
inside the nepetalactone due to one of the sensitivities of anti-oxidant is UV
sunlight.

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Prototype:

1) The essential oil of nepetalactone was extracted from Nepeta Cataria by using
ethanol solvent which is the solvent that can extracted highest percentage of
the essential oil compare to water and methanol solvent (Muhammadizad,
Mahrafarin, & Naghdi, 2017). Moreover, the ethanol solvent does not have
carcinogen properties and can be applied through skin in certain amount which
not more than 3% out of quantity of the product.
2) The formulation of product is 10 % of nepetalactone essential oil and 90 % of
coconut virgin oil. The quantity of the product per bottle is 50 ml. The reason to
choose 10 % of nepetalactone essential which high concentrate is to increase
the scent of nepetalactone so that the percentage to repel the mosquitos is
high.

Figure 3.1.1: Prototype of Product

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3.2 Approach to Solutions/Methodology

1) Nepeta Cataria (Catnip) powder was measured to 100 grams by using electronic
measuring balance.
2) Then, the sample was transferred into 500 ml beaker and mixed with 450 ml of
ethanol solvent.
3) The beaker was sealed using aluminium foil to prevent the ethanol vaporize through
atmosphere.
4) Water was filled into the ultrasonic bath until it reaches level of ¾.
5) The power of ultrasonic bath (240 Watt) was turned on and manipulated the
temperature bath to 500 C
6) After the temperature of water bath reached 500 C, the beaker containing the
sample and ethanol were transferred into it.
7) The duration of extraction process was approximately 3 hours due to large quantity
of Catnip.
8) After the extraction process, the sample and the solvent were separated using filter
papers.
9) The rotary evaporator was used to separate the catnip oil and the solvent.
10) Finally, the essential oil of catnip was stored under the temperature of 40 C.
11) The percentage of each component in the product formulated is 10% catnip oil
and 90% extra virgin coconut oil.

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3.3 Fundamental Engineering Analysis

Though the exact reasoning as to why mosquitoes and other vector insects are
repelled by catnip is not properly known but the main idea is that they are irritated by
the smell, due to the fact that catnip falls under the minty plant family Lamiaceae.
Existing products of mosquito repellents capitalize with the strong sense of smell from
diethyltoluamide (DEET), which repels mosquitoes, but it also causes discomfort to
the user as well. With this problem in mind, the solution is to incorporate the
nepetalactone (mosquito repelling compound found in catnip) into a substance that
not only repels mosquitoes, but also provides comfort to the user.

Nepetalactone is understood to own be a cure for headaches, migraines, and

even fevers. this is able to mean a good profit to the user ought to they be the sort to
require specific interest in doing outside activities reminiscent of hiking, as a majority
of dandy fever cases area unit from people that were outdoors. Aside from the two-
winged insects’ patch, the opposite ways area unit tedious and needs quite one
method so as to use them. For example, aerosol sprays area unit sometimes massive
in size, being up to 30cm tall. Since most two-winged insects bites occur outdoors, it's
not sensible to hold around a 30cm aerosol spray whereas about to the park for a jog
or a picnic with the family, not taking into the thought of the smell the aerosol spray
produces. Aerosol sprays area unit effective, however at the price of comfort of the
user also as increasing the carbon footprint on the world.

In terms of the ingredients used to make this product firstly, the solvent used
was ethanol that have been ordered from HMBG chemicals company. The grade of
the solvent is analytical grade and the reason we chose ethanol as the solvent is
because it is the ideal solvent for any personal care applications. Next, for the
formulation of organic oil base spray was nepetalactone as the essential oil which was
extracted from Nepeta cataria leaves known as catnip and an organic extra virgin
coconut oil as the base and ethyl alcohol as its evaporative properties which imparts
a cool feel in the skin and hence provide quick delivery on item.

Basically, here we had to extract the catnip powder by placing the beaker
containing catnip mixed with ethanol with a specific proportion into the Ultrasonic bath
for about three hours to obtain the Nepetalactone component. After that, the extracted

17
product was passed through the rotary evaporator to separate the oil and solvent and
to further obtain our main ingredient which was essential oil. The reason the extracted
product being passed through the rotary evaporator is because due to the low boiling
point of the solvent, it can vaporize easily and sucked through the vacuum system by
reduced pressure and transferred to the condenser with a coil passing coolant where
the coolant mixtures consist of dry ice and acetone. Solvent after it re-condenses is
placed at the condensate-collecting flask at the bottom of the condenser. The sample
that contained oil at standard evaporating flask is transferred to formulate the oil base
spray.

Oil base spray is more likely to be the oil base perfume but without any
fragrance. The effectiveness of oil base spray can long-last up to 6 to 15 hours
compare to alcohol base spray that can last only up to 3 to 6 hours. Moreover, oil base
spray is a clean, rich and true scent with a long shelf life since it is only required less
than 5% of alcohol. Other than that, it is not only non-flammable but it is also nourishes
and moisturizes the skin due to goodness of oil contained.

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4.0 RESULTS

4.1 Technical Specification and Engineering Drawing

Our project the Organic Mosquito Repellent has not much mechanical
engineering application to it, as it is a purely a chemical-based project. The technical
aspects of the project are in the chemicals extracted, which are justified by the testing
and the positive test results we obtained. Below are the details of the bottle which our
organic mosquito repellent is stored in.

Figure 4.1.1: Part 1 of the model

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Figure 4.1.2: Part 2 of the model

Figure 4.1.3: Part 3 of the model

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Figure 4.1.4: Part 4 of the model

Figure 4.1.5: Part 5 of the model

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 Figure 4.1.6: Part 6 of the model

Figure 4.1.7: Final result of the model

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Figure 4.1.8: Engineering drawing of the model

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4.2 Project Output

The key component in making the Organic Mosquito Repellent a success is the
extract from the Catnip called Nepetalactone. The Nepetalactone has some properties
in it that makes it stand out as the most effective option to proceed with the project
compared to other common alternatives for organic mosquito repellents. The
nepetalactone in itself smells pungent, therefore it requires a base to make it more
commercial. We have chosen coconut oil as our base due to the specific properties it
possesses, which work exceptionally well together with the nepetalactone. Below are
the advantages of nepetalactone as compared to other organic mosquito repellent
alternatives.

Nepeta Cataria (Catnip) belongs to the Lamiaceae family, a group of plants with
mint properties. The mint properties in the extract called Nepetalactone is able to repel
mosquitoes from biting their victims. Mosquitoes are very attracted to the scents from
human perspiration, specifically carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Most of the victims of
the dengue fever are active people who go outdoors, and the perspiration attracts the
disease-carrying mosquitoes. Only female mosquitoes bite their victims, as they
require nutrients such as iron and protein found in blood to develop their eggs. When
the mosquito bites into the victim to suck the blood and nutrients, they simultaneously
inject anti-coagulant enzymes to increase the duration of the blood flow. These are the
enzymes that contain harmful bacteria that can lead to diseases such as the dengue
fever, malaria, AIDS, and so much more. The strong minty properties of the
nepetalactone extracted from the catnip disrupts the mosquitoes that highly depend
on their sense of smell from detecting their victims, hence preventing any potential
harm and diseases from getting bitten by a mosquito.

Nepetalactone is known to have anti-oxidant properties, which means it has

properties that hinder or prevent the oxidation of molecules in our bodies. This can be
simplified as stating that they kill bacteria in the food and drinks we consume on a daily
basis. The human metabolism creates biproducts from digestion called ‘free radicals’,
which are atoms or a molecular species in the food we consume that are able to exist
independently with unpaired electrons. Radicals are unstable and highly reactive,
which means they can either donate or accept an electron from other molecules in the

24
body, resulting them or the molecules affected to behave as oxidants or reductants.
The free radicals in the body have the capability to damage biologically vital molecules
such as DNA, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids by disrupting the electron count in
the molecules affected, or even the free radicals themselves. How the antioxidants
work in the body is by detecting the free radicals and stepping in to “donate” electrons
to the free radicals, making them have a stable number of electrons and prevents them
from causing harm to other molecules in the body.

Figure 4.2.1: The movement of antioxidant electrons

Nepetalactone has a relevant number of antioxidants in their chemical

composition, which are vital in maintaining the immune system of the human body.
Nepetalactone is also known to have antipyretic properties, which is defined as fever-
suppressing properties that work by inhibiting the enzymes that trigger the brain to
increase body temperature in response to being infected by a virus or microorganisms.
The body’s reaction to a fever is widely accepted as uncomfortable, and nepetalactone
is able to minimize the discomfort in the user. Another valuable property of
nepetalactone is its ability to act as a stimulant to maintain a healthy nervous system.
The body reacts positively to stimuli, and nepetalactone is able to activate the nerves
involved stomach functions, muscle relaxation, hormone secretion and many more.

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 Figure 4.2.2: Benefits of Catnip Essential Oil

Nepetalactone has not been a more commercial selection for organic mosquito
repellents due to lack of exposure of its benefits to the public. Some other alternative
choices are Cinnamon Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, as well as Lemongrass Oil. Cinnamon oil
has similar properties to nepetalactone, but it can cause liver damage from excessive
use as well as breathing problems to those who have allergies towards cinnamon.
Eucalyptus oil has healing properties for cuts and wounds but can be toxic if ingested,
it is also the most expensive choice out of the common choices. Lemongrass oil has
antiseptic properties that kills bacteria in wounds but have been known to stimulate
excessive digestion which is bad for people who are pregnant and have kidney
problems. Nepetalactone does not cause health problems if used in excess, it is
edible, it is cheap, and causes no harm to humans and wildlife alike. In terms of
repelling mosquitoes or other disease-carrying vectors, nepetalactone has an effective
duration of 2-4 hours, whereas Cinnamon Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, and Lemongrass Oil
have an effective duration of 2-4 hours, 1-2 hours, and 90 minutes respectively.
Extensive research by valid sources have been taken into consideration in selecting
nepetalactone as our main component for the repellent.

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4.3 Discussion on results

The progress of our project is based on the data we have collected, and the
success is based on the positive results we obtained. Our main source of data
collection is through Google Survey Forms which each group member has shared the
link to the survey form via social media such as WhatsApp; whereas the testing of the
efficiency of our project was through human testing. The data and results of our project
are as follows.

Survey Results:

Figure 4.3.1: Survey Question

Our initial target customers were aimed only for UTP students, but we have
reason to expand our prospect customers to even members of the general public. The
data shows that 57.7% of the respondents are members of the general public. The
small number of UTP respondents is due to our intake batch having a small number
of people, whereas our friends and families are abundant in number. The data from
this question shows great promise in our project being widely accepted by all members
of society.

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 Figure 4.3.2: Survey Question

The largest percentage with 75.6% (59 respondents) have shown that most
mosquito bites happen between 6.00PM to 8.00PM, with 65.4% happening 9.00PM
onwards. This information backs up our research that mosquitoes are nocturnal
creatures that are active at times close to dusk or sunset, and their metabolism is
activated during these hours. Most people are out during these times for recreational
purposes, a favourable habit for mosquitoes looking for victims.

Figure 4.3.3: Survey Question

This is one of the most crucial questions in the survey that are able to determine
the progress of our project where a staggering 83% of respondents have been affected
by dengue fever, whether it is someone they know or the respondent themselves. A

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clear justification for why our project is relevant for everyone affected. Two of our own
group members have experienced dengue fever themselves.

Figure 4.3.4: Survey Question

A reason for our project to be oriented towards organic materials is the distress
caused by conventional mosquito sprays towards the user. The data above shows that
users have experienced discomfort while using the conventional mosquito sprays,
from having difficulty breathing to irritation in the eyes. This confirms our approach for
providing a less invasive solution in repelling mosquitoes.

Figure 4.3.5: Survey Question

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 In order to make our survey not biased towards our product, the question above
presented an opportunity to get a personal perspective from the respondents in their
view of the effectiveness of the conventional mosquito repellents in relation to the
threat they pose towards the user and the environment. 56.3% of respondents agree
that they are effective but just as harmful, whereas 38.4% of respondents claim that
they are not effective but harmful towards the surrounding people and to the
environment.

Figure 4.3.6: Survey Question

Knowing that aerosol sprays and the chemical it contains (DEET) have adverse
effects on the environment, we want to investigate if people would still prefer the
conventional spray or our project that indefinitely has no negative effects on the
environment and the user. The data shows to be in our favour with 92.9% of
respondents willing to switch to a less hostile method for users in repelling mosquitoes.

The data collected from our survey forms were collected in a period of 2 weeks,
and the questions of the survey have been contributed by all group members equally
with the aim of gathering valuable information for the progress of our project.

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Product Testing & Results

Our efforts in testing the product has had several setbacks, but we were able
to get positive and definite results through our perseverance. As stated previously,
mosquitoes are attracted to the scent of human perspiration, mainly carbon dioxide as
well as lactic acid. For our first test, we have found methods of catching mosquitoes
from the internet by setting up traps based on scent. The trap is set up by adding some
palm sugar (a natural attractant for all insects) and hot water, mixed in with yeast (to
produce carbon dioxide that simulates human perspiration). Attracting mosquitoes
would be pointless if the traps were not set at the right location at the right time.
Research have shown that mosquitoes are active between dusk to dawn, so we have
decided to place our traps during these hours in nearby bushes. The traps we set up
are varied; with one trap containing only palm sugar and yeast, while the other was
palm sugar and yeast as well as nepetalactone (the chemical extract that repels
mosquitoes) set at 1 meter apart. This is to investigate the theory that mosquitoes will
be more attracted towards the trap that did not contain nepetalactone. Our traps were
left for 12 hours starting from 7.00PM to 7.00AM.

Figure 4.3.7: Product testing

The result of the test was negative, due to the excessive amount of yeast that
it covered the entrance of the bottles. Another key factor being the location of the traps
set, where it was too secluded that it would not make sense for mosquitoes to be
lingering around the area of the traps with no potential victim.

31
It is agreed that we had to do another test to validate our theory, with us having revised
our approach from the previous failed test. We have decided to conduct the same
experiment but changing locations to a confirmed mosquito infested area, the pathway
in between block 17 to block 22 with dense greens surrounding the pathway. Our
group members confirmed to have been bitten by mosquitoes while using the pathway.
The variation of the traps are set as 2 sets of traps containing palm sugar. One set of
traps had palm sugar and yeast, while the other set contained only palm sugar; we
have included nepetalactone in only one of the traps of each set respectfully. The test
was conducted for a period of 2 days, as a longer duration would increase our
probability of success. The test failed again, due to the traps being destroyed by
undetermined animals over the duration of 2 days. All the traps were torn apart,
believed to have been done by wild pigs or monkeys that linger around the campus at
night. This only meant we had one option, to proceed with human testing.

With human testing, there was the factor of human diversity that could lead to
mosquitoes favouring one person over the other, due to colour of clothing, consistency
of diet, perspiration rate and many more. The controlled variable for this test was the
pathway and duration of testing, using the same pathway (block 17 to block 22) and
the duration of 1 hour (to simulate hiking in dense forests and stimulate sweating). The
test had to be conducted in two separate days to investigate effectiveness of product
using the same person, as well as to investigate the effectiveness of product on
different people. Our group member Fawwaz agreed to be the guinea pig or this
experiment for both days. The results are shown below.

DAY 1
Subject with product

Figure 4.3.8: Test Results for Day 1

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 DAY 2
Subject without product

Figure 4.3.9: Test Results for Day 2

Figure 4.3.10: Comparison of test results for both days

For the first day of testing, Fawwaz and Afiq used the product. Both subjects
were not affected by the mosquito bites. For the second day of testing, Fawwaz did
not use the product while Amir used the product. Fawwaz was greatly affected by
mosquito bites while Amir was unaffected whatsoever. The tests show that the product
will work on different people, as well as effectiveness on the same person considering
the time and location remained constant.

33
4.4 Conclusion

As stated in the objectives, we have concluded that our project is successful as

we manage to produce an alternative to repel mosquitoes or any other disease-
carrying vectors. All the substances used are organic and not harmful to environment
and can be consumed for all age groups. The cost is not as high as other products
and high effectiveness period makes our product is the best choice for now at least.
We have tested on human and get positive feedback. It also includes random people
to test the product and it does not affect any allergic they have. Our team member
looking forward to making our product as a necessity to everyone because dengue is
serious threat to human being. However, there are still many rooms for improvement
to our product such as further research on how to extract more oil and versify the
product into daily lotion and soap detergent.

4.5 Recommendations

After completing this engineering team project, we do see a few improvements

could be done in the future such as increasing the concentration of nepetalactone in
the mixture. It will help the spray to produce a stronger smell and make it long lasting
and the curing effect is more effective. Next, we plan to change the glass spray bottle
to plastic bottle to reduce production cost without compromising the effectiveness of
the product. It is also more durable and easier to carry especially during outdoor
activities. Lastly, we should increase the human testing time and do outdoor activities
to get exactly how long the product will last on human skin. This is where we build trust
and develop our product successfully.

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 5.0 PROJECT MANAGEMENT
5.1 Progress monitoring (Gantt Chart)
PHASE ONE PHASE TWO PHASE THREE PHASE FOUR

PCT OF TASK
TASK TITLE TASK OWNER START DATE END DATE WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 WEEK 7 WEEK 8 WEEK 9 WEEK 10 WEEK 11 WEEK 12
COMPLETE

1 Project Definition and Planning

1.1 Design Thinking of Project Whole Team 18/5/2018 8/6/2018

1.1.1 Brainstorming of ideas Whole Team 18/5/2018 25/5/2018 100%

1.1.2 Defining an actual issue i.e. problem statement Whole Team 18/5/2018 25/5/2018 100%

1.1.3 Data Gathering Whole Team 27/5/2018 31/5/2018 100%

1.1.4 Evaluating Topic Feasibility Whole Team 27/5/2018 31/5/2018 100%

1.1.5 Task Listing and Distribution Amir 29/5/2018 11/6/2018 100%

1.1.6 Designing Project Methodology Fawwaz 31/5/2018 6/6/2018 100%

1.1.7 Economical/business considerations Ikhwan 4/6/2018 12/6/2018 100%

1.2 Finalising of Project Topic Whole Team 18/5/2018 4/6/2018 100%

2 Project Initiation

2.1 In-Depth Data Gathering i.e. literature review Afiq 11/6/2018 27/6/2018 100%

2.2 Acquisition of Project Material Fawwaz, Afiq 9/6/2018 30/6/2018 50%

2.3 Sketching the 3D model of product Rosazila 3/6/2018 27/6/2018 50%

2.4 Summary of progress Gurpreet 3/6/2018 24/6/2018 100%

2.5 Proposal Submission Whole Team 27/6/2018 100%
3 Next Plan of Action Whole Team
3.1 Lab Session i.e. extraction 3/7/2018 1/8/2018 0%
3.2 Submission of form 003 11/7/2018 11/7/2018 0%
3.3 Prototype fabrication i.e. production of 3D model 29/6/2018 15/7/2018 0%
3.4 Testing the prototype 15/7/2018 18/7/2018 0%
3.5 Further Enhancing and Improving of prototype 17/8/2018 18/7/2018 0%
3.6 Fabrication Evaluation 18/7/2018 18/7/2018 0%
3.7 Final modifications and adjustments to prototype 18/7/2018 22/7/2018 0%
3.8 Slide Presentation Preparation 18/7/2018 25/7/2018 0%
3.9 Poster Presentation Printing & Preparation 18/7/2018 25/7/2018 0%
3.11 Pre Sedex 25/7/2018 25/7/2018 0%
3.12 Peer Evaluation 15/8/2018 15/8/2018 0%
3.13 Submission of claim form 0%
3.14 Final Report Submission 15/8/2018 15/8/2018 0%

35
 5.2 Task Allocation
Table 5.2.1 shows the person-in-charge for each task for the project.

DEPARTMENT TASK DESCRIPTION PERSON IN CHARGE

RESEARCH 1) Conduct survey regarding the problem 1) Afiq (ME)
statement which is the threat of dengue
fever and public’s perception towards an
alternative solution to conventional
methods of repelling mosquitoes
2) Survey on the type of oil that can be 2) Fawwaz (CE)
extracted from catnip to be used as an
organic mosquito repellent
3) Conduct research on the type of solvent 3) Amir (PE)
that is most efficient in yielding the oil
component in catnip
ACQUISITION OF 1) Survey on potential suppliers of catnip 1) Fawwaz (CE),
MATERIALS both locally and on the internet Rosazila (CV)
2) Survey the price per weight of catnip 2) Amir (PE),
Fawwaz (CE)
3) Purchase catnip in bulk amount to 3) Afiq (ME), Fawwaz
perform extraction in lab (CE)
4) Lab and equipment booking 4) Gurpreet (CE),
Rosazila (CV)
5) Purchase/acquire solvent to be used 5) Gurpreet (CE),
which is ethanol Ikhwan (ME)

EXTRACTION 1) Lab session which will involve process of 1) The whole team
extracting nepetalactone oil from catnip
leaves/powder
DESIGN & 1) Survey on best materials for prototype 1) Ikhwan (ME)
FABRICATION 2) Settle on best product implementation of 2) The whole team
organic mosquito repellent
3) Ensuring project stays within budget 3) Gurpreet (CE)
allocated and is price effective

36
 Table 5.2.2 shows the sequence of each task for the project.

Task Name Start Date End Date Duration (days)

Project Definition and Planning
Design Thinking of Project 18/5/2018 8/6/2018 21
Brainstorming of ideas 18/5/2018 25/5/2018 7
Defining an actual issue i.e. problem statement 18/5/2018 25/5/2018 7
Data Gathering 27/5/2018 31/5/2018 5
Evaluating Topic Feasibility 27/5/2018 31/5/2018 5
Task Listing and Distribution 29/5/2018 11/6/2018 14
Designing Project Methodology 31/5/2018 6/6/2018 7
Economical/business considerations 4/6/2018 12/6/2018 8
Finalising of Project Topic 18/5/2018 4/6/2018 17
Project Initiation
In-Depth Data Gathering i.e. literature review 11/6/2018 27/6/2018 16
Acquisition of Project Material 9/6/2018 30/6/2018 21
Sketching the 3D model of product 3/6/2018 27/6/2018 24
Summary of progress 3/6/2018 24/6/2018 21
Proposal Submission 27/6/2018
Next Plan of Action
Lab Session i.e. extraction 3/7/2018 1/8/2018 29
Submission of form 003 11/7/2018 11/7/2018
Prototype fabrication i.e. production of 3D model 29/6/2018 15/7/2018 18
Testing the prototype 15/7/2018 18/7/2018 3
Further Enhancing and Improving of prototype 17/8/2018 18/7/2018 2
Fabrication Evaluation 18/7/2018 18/7/2018
Final modifications and adjustments to prototype 18/7/2018 22/7/2018 5
Slide Presentation Preparation 18/7/2018 25/7/2018 8
Poster Presentation Printing & Preparation 18/7/2018 25/7/2018 8
Pre Sedex 25/7/2018 25/7/2018
Peer Evaluation 15/8/2018 15/8/2018
Submission of claim form
Final Report Submission 15/8/2018 15/8/2018

37
6.0 APPENDICES

Methodology

Image 1: Ultrasonic bath

Image 2: Measurement of Catnip

38
Image 3: Immersion of sample into the Ultrasonic bath

Image 4: Separation of sample and solvent

39
 Image 5: Extraction of Catnip Oil

ETP Presentation

Image 6: ETP Poster Presentation Image 7: Team picture with

prototype and poster

40
7.0 REFERENCES

1) Alexandra. (2018, April 27). The Dangers of Deodorant Sprays. Retrieved from
The Green People UK: https://www.greenpeople.co.uk/beauty-hub/blog/the-
dangers-of-deodorant-sprays
2) Bernama. (2017, December 30). Almost 83,000 dengue cases nationwide in
2017; 171 deaths. Retrieved from New Strait Times:
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/12/319710/almost-83000-dengue-
cases-nationwide-2017-171-deaths
3) Chen, Nazni, Lee, Seleena, Masri, M., Chiang, & Sofian-Azirun. (2006). Mixed
breeding of Aedes aegypti (L.) and Aedes albopictus Skuse in four dengue
endemic areas in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. Tropical Biomedicine,
224-227.
4) EarthSky. (2015, July 22). How mosquitoes find you to bite you. Retrieved from
EarthSky: http://earthsky.org/earth/how-mosquitoes-find-you-to-bite-you
5) Li, Lim, Han, & Fang. (1985). Rainfall, abundance of Aedes aegypti and dengue
infection in Selangor, Malaysia. The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical
Medicine and Public Health, 560-568.
6) Malaysia Post. (2018, April 6). 10 dengue deaths in Sabah until March.
Retrieved from Malaysia Post: https://www.malaysiapost.biz/2018/04/06/10-
dengue-deaths-in-sabah-until-march/
7) Orkin. (n.d.). How do mosquitoes see? Retrieved from Orkin:
https://www.orkin.com/other/mosquitoes/sight/
8) United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2017, January 19). DEET.
Retrieved from EPA: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/deet
9) Benefits of Antioxidants. Retrieved from: https://www.nutrex
hawaii.com/blogs/learn/benefits-of-antioxidants

10) Antioxidants. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antioxidants-

explained#section2

11) Catnip. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11566461

12) Benefits of Essential Oil. Retrieved from: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-

benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-catnip-essential-oil.html

13) Mark, A. S., Grove, P., David, L. H., & Wilmington, D. (2015). Method for
Isolation of Catmint Oil. Patent Application Publication, 1-6.

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14) Muhammadizad, H., Mahrafarin, A., & Naghdi, B. H. (2017). Qualitative and
Quantitative Evaluation of Essential Oil of Catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) Under
Different Drying Conditions. Journal of Medicine Plant, 1-20.

15) Society, A. C. (2001, August 28). Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively
Than DEET. Retrieved from Science Daily:
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm

16) Vasudevan, D. (2011). Health Benifits of Coconut Oil. Cocoinfo International,

1-5.

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