Micro plastic Degrading aquifer

The Microplastic traces found in municipal waste water eventually finds its way to the food cycle and the ocean, where it can biomagnify and create many health hazards for all living beings. We must prevent anthropogenic activities to dispose MP in our environment as its not biodegradable for most living beings. If we want to stop MP from finding its way in our veins, we must filter it out before it gets hard to collect.

Our

Solution

We propose to design a biofiltration aquifer at the end of municipal waste water treatment facilities using algae called Scenedesmus abundans as well as other microbes like Ideonella sakaiensis, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Aspergillus and Fusarium . We aim to design a symbiotic culture where the microplastics will be degraded by the above mentioned micro organisms. There will be monitoring systems to keep track of the microbes quality and quantity as well as their impact on the ecosystem of the pond. The symbiotic culture will receive time and optimum conditions to effectively degrade the microplastics. The MP will be monitored using MP sensors to conduct the efficacy of the system. The pond ecosystem will be carefully developed with autotrophs, heterotrophs and saprophytes to maintain the balance of the MP degrading organisms. Upon confirmation of microplastic removal from 80-90%, the water will be supplied from the lake for urban usage. As an environmental friendly option, this culture will reproduce itself in a self sustaining ecosystem.