Bubbles in the river catch plastic waste
When plastic pollution is called, the mind usually comes from the floating waste islands in the ocean. However, scientists emphasize that the important part of the pollution seen in the seas has been moved through rivers for a long time. Therefore, many solutions developed in recent years aim to capture plastics before reaching the sea.
Dutch venture The Great Bubble Barrier contributes to this approach without being used. rising air bubbles from a perforated pipe placed on the river base, plastic wastes direct to water surface and coast. Thanks to the established collection system, wastes are separated from water. This technology, which looks quite simple at first glance, began to give remarkable results in field applications.
How do they redirect plastic?
[Great Bubble Barrier’s working principle is based on physics rules. [
Continuous air is provided from a perforated pipe, which is placed crossed to the river base. Thousands of small bubbles formed create a vertical flow while moving upwards in water. This movement combined with river discharge leads floating plastics to the shore naturally.
] One of the most important advantages of the system does not require completely closure of the river. Technology does not interfere with the passage of boats and does not cut the way of migration of fish. Thus, the natural functioning of the river ecosystem can be maintained while catching plastic waste.
] This approach distinguishes from traditional physical barriers. Because the purpose is not to put an obstacle in front of the water, using the discharge to the point of collecting waste in controlled form.
First results hope
[Technology first started to be applied in the Westerdok channel in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
According to the data shared by The Great Bubble Barrier, the system can capture 86 percent of plastic waste on the surface. On average, about 8 thousand plastic pieces per month are removed from water.
The collected wastes are not only disposed. It is also classified according to the species, and which plastics are more involved in rivers. This data provides important information for the development of waste management policies of local governments.
The success of technology is measured only with the amount of plastic it collects. It is assessed as one of the highlights of the system to help you understand the source of waste.
Why rivers have critical importance?
] The important part of the plastics reaching to the oceans passes through the rivers first. [
According to UNESCO, the rivers are among the most important ways of transportation, which is the landful plastic wastes to seas. Therefore, instead of trying to collect plastics after reaching the ocean, it is seen as a lower cost and more efficient method to catch in the rivers.
This approach can also limit microplastic formation.
Plastics leave to smaller parts gradually due to sunlight, wave movements and physical wear as long as they stay in water. It is much harder if you collect these particles from microplastic.
Great Bubble Barrier aims to prevent pollution by capturing plastics before this process starts.
Small idea, a global interest[
The effect of technology started to pay attention to the international area. [email protected] Great Bubble Barrier is among the finalist projects under Earthshot Prize that supports environmental innovations. Solution; low energy needs, adaptable structure to the existing infrastructure and stand out with the design that minimizes interference to nature.
Today, similar applications and pilot studies are carried out in different countries. Although the flow rate of each river is different, the width and waste profile, the basic technology has the flexibility to adapt to many different water ways. [
This situation shows that practical technologies that can be adapted to local conditions instead of a single big solution in the fight against plastic pollution. [
Do technology enough alone?
] Great Bubble Barrier is not a technology that completely eliminates plastic pollution.
You will need to work continuously of similar systems unless they reduce the amount of waste mixed to the rivers. Therefore, experts emphasize that the reduction of plastic use, strengthening the waste collection infrastructure and the development of recycling systems should also progress simultaneously.
But this situation does not reduce the importance of technology.
Because an important part of environmental technologies remained in laboratories or small scale trials for many years. Great Bubble Barrier offers a model that produces continuous running, measurable results in a real river and adapt to different cities.
Solutions can sometimes be simpler than we thought
] [Enjoy and environmental crises often come across as very big problems. Therefore, solutions can be considered to require complex technologies. [
Great Bubble Barrier shows that this is not always true.
Thousands of small air bubbles left water can prevent plastics from reaching the sea by directing like an invisible wall. Even if advanced engineering and fluids are found in the back, the resulting solution is quite simple. [
Perhaps the future of environmental technologies lies here. Instead of fighting the functioning of nature, approaches that work in harmony with existing systems and develop feasible solutions can play more roles in the fight against plastic pollution.
[
Source
] • The Great Bubble Barrier
] • Earthshot Prize
] Home UNESCO
Home Euronews[
Home CNN
Dutch venture The Great Bubble Barrier contributes to this approach without being used. rising air bubbles from a perforated pipe placed on the river base, plastic wastes direct to water surface and coast. Thanks to the established collection system, wastes are separated from water. This technology, which looks quite simple at first glance, began to give remarkable results in field applications.
How do they redirect plastic?
[Great Bubble Barrier’s working principle is based on physics rules. [
Continuous air is provided from a perforated pipe, which is placed crossed to the river base. Thousands of small bubbles formed create a vertical flow while moving upwards in water. This movement combined with river discharge leads floating plastics to the shore naturally.
] One of the most important advantages of the system does not require completely closure of the river. Technology does not interfere with the passage of boats and does not cut the way of migration of fish. Thus, the natural functioning of the river ecosystem can be maintained while catching plastic waste.
] This approach distinguishes from traditional physical barriers. Because the purpose is not to put an obstacle in front of the water, using the discharge to the point of collecting waste in controlled form.
First results hope
[Technology first started to be applied in the Westerdok channel in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
According to the data shared by The Great Bubble Barrier, the system can capture 86 percent of plastic waste on the surface. On average, about 8 thousand plastic pieces per month are removed from water.
The collected wastes are not only disposed. It is also classified according to the species, and which plastics are more involved in rivers. This data provides important information for the development of waste management policies of local governments.
The success of technology is measured only with the amount of plastic it collects. It is assessed as one of the highlights of the system to help you understand the source of waste.
Why rivers have critical importance?
] The important part of the plastics reaching to the oceans passes through the rivers first. [
According to UNESCO, the rivers are among the most important ways of transportation, which is the landful plastic wastes to seas. Therefore, instead of trying to collect plastics after reaching the ocean, it is seen as a lower cost and more efficient method to catch in the rivers.
This approach can also limit microplastic formation.
Plastics leave to smaller parts gradually due to sunlight, wave movements and physical wear as long as they stay in water. It is much harder if you collect these particles from microplastic.
Great Bubble Barrier aims to prevent pollution by capturing plastics before this process starts.
Small idea, a global interest[
The effect of technology started to pay attention to the international area. [email protected] Great Bubble Barrier is among the finalist projects under Earthshot Prize that supports environmental innovations. Solution; low energy needs, adaptable structure to the existing infrastructure and stand out with the design that minimizes interference to nature.
Today, similar applications and pilot studies are carried out in different countries. Although the flow rate of each river is different, the width and waste profile, the basic technology has the flexibility to adapt to many different water ways. [
This situation shows that practical technologies that can be adapted to local conditions instead of a single big solution in the fight against plastic pollution. [
Do technology enough alone?
] Great Bubble Barrier is not a technology that completely eliminates plastic pollution.
You will need to work continuously of similar systems unless they reduce the amount of waste mixed to the rivers. Therefore, experts emphasize that the reduction of plastic use, strengthening the waste collection infrastructure and the development of recycling systems should also progress simultaneously.
But this situation does not reduce the importance of technology.
Because an important part of environmental technologies remained in laboratories or small scale trials for many years. Great Bubble Barrier offers a model that produces continuous running, measurable results in a real river and adapt to different cities.
Solutions can sometimes be simpler than we thought
] [Enjoy and environmental crises often come across as very big problems. Therefore, solutions can be considered to require complex technologies. [
Great Bubble Barrier shows that this is not always true.
Thousands of small air bubbles left water can prevent plastics from reaching the sea by directing like an invisible wall. Even if advanced engineering and fluids are found in the back, the resulting solution is quite simple. [
Perhaps the future of environmental technologies lies here. Instead of fighting the functioning of nature, approaches that work in harmony with existing systems and develop feasible solutions can play more roles in the fight against plastic pollution.
[
Source
] • The Great Bubble Barrier
] • Earthshot Prize
] Home UNESCO
Home Euronews[
Home CNN
Source: Environmental Protection