CHITOCLEAR| Trash Cleanup

Project Details

The Challenge | Trash Cleanup

Oceanic garbage patches are collections of marine debris that come together due to ocean currents; they have devastating effects on ocean ecosystems. Your challenge is to design a mission to help clean up garbage from the ocean!

From ocean to ocean

We are ChitoClear and we want to use a biodegradable, non-toxic, and biocompatible substance called chitosan which extracted from marine wastes to cultivate the microplastic in garbage patches and collect it to be recycled in useful ways.

CHITOCLEAR

SUMMERY

This project investigates a new method for the removal of microplastics (plastic particles less than 5 mm in diameter) from ocean water using chitosan and magnet. In the presence of water, the chitosan attracts the microplastics because of the coagulating properties. We investigated this extraction method on different types of microplastics. The result was that the chitosan has precipitated the microplastic. Also, microplastic has gained magnetic properties and attracted to the magnet.

Our method was inspired by a scientific paper discussing how the power of chitosan in water treatment is. Also, a scientific paper discussing that the plastics have the capacity to build up static charges on the surface. We used this information to investigate a new method to remove microplastic from the oceans' garbage patches.

OUR VISION

To use a marine substance to heal the marine environment.

IDEA

  1. Chitosan is a cationic polymer and coagulating agent.
  2. Plastic has the capacity to build up static charges on the surface

METHODOLOGY

  • Extraction of chitosan using:
  1. Shell wastes
  2. HCL (demineralization)
  3. NaOH (deprotonation and deacetylation)
  4. CH3COOH (confirmation)
  • The experiment:
  1. Sea water + microplastic
  2. Sea water + microplastic + chitosan

RESULT

  1. After 10 min, chitosan has preciptated the microplastic.
  2. Microplastic has gained a magnetic characteristics
  3. Magnet has attracted chitosan-microplastic complex

FUTURE APPLICATIONS

  • ROV
  • Ships
  • Aquatic drone

SIGNIFICANCE

  • cosmetic industry (face washes, hand soaps, tooth pastes)
  • clothes
  • packing
  • 3d printers filaments

TEAM MEMBERS

Osama, Salem, Ahmed, Rahma, Mariam

RESOURCES

  1. Lebreton, L., et al. "Evidence that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is rapidly accumulating plastic." Scientific reports 8.1 (2018): 4666.‏
  2. Wright, S.L., Kelly, F.J. (2017) ‘Plastic and Human Health: A micro issue?’, Environmental science & technology, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00423
  3. Dris, R., Gasperi, J., Saad, M., Mirande, C., Tassin, B. (2016) ‘Synthetic fibers in atmospheric fallout: A source of microplastics in the environment?, Marine Pollution Bulletin.