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Irish Teenager Wins Global Science Award for Removing Microplastics from Water

physics-astronomy.org

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Re: Irish Teenager Wins Global Science Award for Removing Microplastics from Water

#5

Post by EGreg »

I am awed by the teen and his accomplishments to date. But serious question: how can this be used in vivo, say in the ocean?

The magnetite left behind seems toxic also. When I saw it being dropped in the water, I wondered how the fish are going to survive all that.

Microplastics that settle to the bottom of the ocean might be collected somehow. The rest are dispersed by ocean currents in a vast, vast volume of water, especially colloidal plastic. How would we have enough magnetite to do any of this?

I really hope there can be some plastic-eating bacteria that will break down microplastics and won’t get out of control and create a worse problem

https://www.popsci.com/bacteria-enzyme-plastic-waste/

However we as a society must switch away to biodegrdable plastics! Why haven’t we done this for decades, same as with electric cars? Governments are unwilling to use pigovian taxes and tariffs to subsidize eco-friendly alternatives.

Re: Irish Teenager Wins Global Science Award for Removing Microplastics from Water

#6

Post by mikekchar »

EGreg wrote: post #5

I am awed by the teen and his accomplishments to date. But serious question: how can this be used in vivo, say in the ocean? The magnetite left behind seems toxic also. When I saw it being dropped in the water, I wondered how the fish are going to survive all that. Microplastics that settle to the bottom of the ocean might be collected somehow. The rest are dispersed by ocean currents in a vast, vast volume of water,…

I may be wrong, but my impression was that he envisioned this to be used in waste water treatment, rather than in existing environments.

Re: Irish Teenager Wins Global Science Award for Removing Microplastics from Water

#7

Post by hoorayimhelping »

EGreg wrote: post #5

I am awed by the teen and his accomplishments to date. But serious question: how can this be used in vivo, say in the ocean? The magnetite left behind seems toxic also. When I saw it being dropped in the water, I wondered how the fish are going to survive all that. Microplastics that settle to the bottom of the ocean might be collected somehow. The rest are dispersed by ocean currents in a vast, vast volume of water,…

The idea is you treat waste water with this before it goes out to the ocean.

Re: Irish Teenager Wins Global Science Award for Removing Microplastics from Water

#8

Post by pcstl »

EGreg wrote: post #5

I am awed by the teen and his accomplishments to date. But serious question: how can this be used in vivo, say in the ocean? The magnetite left behind seems toxic also. When I saw it being dropped in the water, I wondered how the fish are going to survive all that. Microplastics that settle to the bottom of the ocean might be collected somehow. The rest are dispersed by ocean currents in a vast, vast volume of water,…

It is unclear whether biodegradable plastics break down fully to non-plastic products or whether their breakdown produces microplastics, unfortunately.

Re: Irish Teenager Wins Global Science Award for Removing Microplastics from Water

#10

Post by pmoriarty »

"Microplastics or microbeads are mostly used in soaps, shower gels and facial scrubs to exfoliate skin..."

So, wait... If we just stopped using microplastics in soaps, shower gels and facial scrubs we'd mostly stop dumping microsplastics in to the environment?

But we don't because we'd rather have this totally optional, cosmetic benefit?

Humans are so stupid.

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