I-Corps: Microplastic filtration from active waterways

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是便携式微塑料测量和隔离设备的潜在开发。每年约有800万吨塑料进入美国水道，其中80%以大塑料(5毫米以上)和微塑料(5毫米以下)的形式在受污染的河流中运输。微塑料正迅速成为一个全球关注的问题，因为它们很容易被摄入，将潜在的危险和致癌添加剂引入野生动物和人类的饮食中。目前，没有一致的方案可用于准确和系统地记录水中微塑料污染物的浓度。此外，也没有现有的技术可以从支流、污水流、水库和湖泊中隔离微塑料。这项技术可供水生排放研究组织和市政河流保管者使用，因为它可能为他们提供一种通用的微塑料监测和封存工具。此外，该设备可以作为废水和饮用水处理基础设施的一部分，潜在地从水环境中去除微塑料。最后，这项技术可以使从设备中收集的微塑料可以升级和重复使用，为微塑料废物创造循环经济。这个i-Corps项目基于一种专有过滤技术的开发，有可能从活跃的水道中物理捕获微塑料沉积物。这项技术是独一无二的，旨在有效地从河流和污水流中隔离微塑料，而不会潜在地破坏当地的生态系统。与容易被藻类堵塞、减缓河流流速、诱捕水生野生动物的精细网状网不同，这种设备使用一种获得专利的“人造根”生物过滤器来诱捕微塑料。这种生物过滤器是一个密集的纤维网状物，物理上将沉积物困在河流水柱的上层，几乎所有的微塑料都是在那里发现的。当浸入水中时，这个网络中的细菌会产生粘性生物膜，从而进一步附着在微塑料等小型水生沉积物上。这个网络虽然密度很高，但并不均匀，而且有允许小型水生生物过境的开口。每个生物过滤器都连接到一个可拆卸的垫子上，这样一旦生物过滤器饱和，就可以很容易地更换它们。每个衬垫都安装在一个流体动力浮选框架内，旨在允许该设备同时部署在河流、溪流和水库中。由于它没有机械部件，这项技术是被动运行的，不需要电力，只需最少的维护就能有效运行。与现有的微塑料过滤系统相比，这可能会使该设备的生产、部署和维护成本更低。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the potential development of a portable microplastic measuring and sequestration device. Every year approximately 8 million tons of plastic enter US waterways, of which 80% gets transported in polluted rivers as both macroplastics (above 5 mm in size) and microplastics (below 5 mm in size). Microplastics are rapidly becoming a global concern, as they can easily be ingested, introducing potentially hazardous and carcinogenic additives into the diets of wildlife and humans. Currently, there are no consistent protocols available for the accurate and systematic recording of microplastic pollutant concentrations in water. Furthermore, there is also no existing technology available to sequester microplastics from tributaries, effluent streams, reservoirs, and lakes. This technology could be used by aquatic emissions research organizations and municipal riverkeepers, as it may provide them with a universal tool for microplastic monitoring and sequestration. Additionally, this device can be deployed as part of wastewater and drinking water treatment infrastructure, to potentially remove microplastics from aquatic environments. Finally, this technology could allow extracted microplastic collected from the device to be upcycled and reused, creating a circular economy for microplastic waste.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a proprietary filtration technology with the potential to physically entrap microplastic sediments from active waterways. This technology is uniquely designed to efficiently sequester microplastics from rivers and effluent streams without potentially disrupting local ecosystems. Unlike fine mesh nets that can easily get clogged with algae, slow down river flow, and entrap aquatic wildlife, this device uses a patented ‘artificial root’ biofilter to entrap microplastics. This biofilter is a dense mesh of fibers that physically ensnare sediment in the upper strata of a river’s water column, which is where almost all microplastic is found. When submerged in water, this network hosts bacteria that produce sticky biofilms that can further adhere small aquatic sediments like microplastics. The network, while dense, is uneven and has openings that allow for the transit of small aquatic organisms. Each biofilter is attached to a removable pad, making it easy to swap biofilters once they become saturated. Each pad is housed within a hydrodynamic flotation frame, aimed to allow the device to be deployed in both rivers, streams, and reservoirs. Due to it having no mechanical components, this technology operates passively, requires no electricity, and demands minimal maintenance to operate effectively. This could make the device cheaper to produce, deploy and maintain compared to the existing microplastic filtration systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.