Using magnets to clean up the ocean isn’t new -—- we’ve even talked about magnets being used in cleaning up oil spills in the oceans before. The future of microplastic disposal in wastewater treatment facilities may be getting cleaned up thanks to one teenager’s science fair project. Irish student Fionn Ferreira recently won Google’s 2019 science fair with his inventive means to extract microplastics from water.
Dangers of Microplastics
Microplastics — tiny bits of plastic less than 5mm long — in drinking water affect humans, animals, and the environment. According to Interesting Engineering, the first media reports of microplastics in drinking water first appeared in 2017.Microplastic fragments come from a variety of sources, including beauty products, toothpaste, and microfiber towels, as well as larger pieces of plastic that have broken down over time. Once microplastics enter our oceans, they are extremely hard to extract. A study in 2015 estimated that the number of microplastics in the world’s oceans ranges between 15 to 51 trillion pieces — weighing between 93,000 and 236,000 metric tons.
The Idea Behind the Project
Fionn was inspired to find a way to extract microplastics before they reach the sea after seeing the pollution near his home. “I live near the seashore and have become increasingly aware of plastic pollution in the oceans.”
How it Works
Ferreira found a solution by using ferrofluids — nontoxic magnetic liquids consisting of magnetite liquid and oil — that are very reactive to magnets. The project was titled an "investigation into the removal of microplastics from water using ferrofluids." It worked because ferrofluids attract microplastics because of the nonpolar properties of both (plastic and oil). For each test, he measured the concentration of plastics before and after using the filtration methods — with a simple homebuilt spectrometer and microscope. This method removes 85% of plastic — except for polypropylene, which only had a reduction of about 80%.
Applications for Ferreira’s Method of Extraction
Ferreira believes his method could have a host of applications in urban wastewater treatment were more than a majority of plastics originate from. Further research needs to be carried out to investigate the efficacy of various grades of magnetite, different types of magnetic systems, methods for separating the waste and the design of a system that can be applied in treatment centers.
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