They sometimes say that necessity is the mother of invention and I think we would all agree that it is necessary to clean up the oceans. It involves much more than what we can see, there is a lot happening that we can’t see as well and much of it involves plastics. Those microplastics are presenting a real problem but a teenager from Ireland may have a solution. In fact, Google has awarded him $50,000 for his science fair project.
The teenager’s name is Fionn Ferreira, an 18-year-old who comes from West Cork, Ireland. The fluid that he created binds itself to microplastics. Magnetite properties were used to create the fluid, helping it to be magnetic and then a magnet was used to extract it from the water along with the microplastics.
“I look forward to applying my findings and contributing towards a solution in tackling microplastics in our oceans worldwide,” Ferreira told the Irish Times.
The entire globe is focused on microplastics because of the severe pollution that occurs when they exist in the oceans. Not only are they found in the water and harmful to the environment, they are also found in the foods that humans and animals eat. When the method was used, it was 87% effective after being tested 1000 times in both fresh and saltwater. He now hopes to build up the idea so it can be used in wastewater plants, stopping microplastics from reaching the oceans in the first place.
The vice president of Google, Vint Cerf offered Ferreira and other students who participated in some encouraging words.
“Behind every ambitious student are parents and teachers who cheer them on and push them to keep learning,” he said. “And to the students, you rock. We can’t wait to see what you do next.”
Source: A Plus