Device for the Removal of Microplastics From Water

Microplastics are increasing in global oceans, freshwater, soil and atmospheric environments. They enter the food chain through particle-feeding organisms until they are finally ingested by humans. 

The 20 year-old chemistry student Fionn Ferreira has envisioned a liquid polarity-based approach to extract all forms of microparticles from water, including nanoplastics and microfibers. Water enters the device and is poured through a plant-based oil phase. Due to the polarity of water and the non-polarity of both microparticles and oil, the oil attracts and traps the suspended particles. Particle-saturated oil is replaced with fresh oil. The saturated oil can be reused after separation of the particles. This novel approach is fast, offering extraction rates >80% at a water-oil contact of merely 1-2 seconds; more contact with oil could yield higher extraction. It is flexible and can be deployed onto both freshwater and saltwater streams without the need for high pressure used in current practise. The absence of filtration grids or sieves means it doesn’t clog. The device poses minimal environmental risk and does not interfere with other suspended solids such as in river water or wastewater entering coagulation plants, and oil losses are minimal.

Fionn is passionate about solving the microplastic problem due to his childhood spent on the coastline of Ireland. The further work on his engineering approach will be conducted with support from the globally recognized engineering consulting firm Stress Engineering Services (SES), chosen because of its extensive experience in fluid science, where Fionn will act as project Co-Principal Investigator.