91原创

Although Ebb and Flow are just part of a small pilot project, they鈥檙e aiming to tackle a massive problem: all the discarded plastic in our waterways. It is estimated that more than from the U.S. and 91原创 wind up in the Great Lakes every year. And that鈥檚 just the tip of the (polymer) iceberg: According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, our oceans accumulate annually. The United Nations estimates that the amount of plastic entering aquatic ecosystems could exceed 25 million tonnes per year by 2040.

Plastic is already a known health hazard, as it may include toxic chemicals, such as fire retardants and dyes that can accumulate in our bodies. But scientists are also expressing worries about the risks posed by microplastics, tiny particles that are barely visible to the human eye. OceanCare, a non-profit devoted to marine conservation, suggests that at least can be found on the ocean鈥檚 surface alone 鈥� that鈥檚 about 270,000 tonnes by weight, on par with more than 2,000 blue whales (the world鈥檚 largest animal).听

鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges is that everyone has heard of microplastics, but there鈥檚 a lack of awareness around the size and the scope of the problem, and the scientific evidence is just starting to emerge,鈥� says Macarena Cataldo-Hernandez, co-founder and CEO of , a Vancouver-based startup with a focus on water treatment. 鈥淲e鈥檙e finding microplastics in literally every part of our bodies, and this stuff is not going to be good for us.鈥�

In some cases, simple strategies can help cut down exposure. While tap water around the world is riddled with microplastics (researchers have found the pollutants in 80 per cent听of the samples collected from 14 different countries), a new study suggests boiling and filtering may get rid of as much as 90 per cent of those particles. But the magnitude of the problem calls for more extensive interventions 鈥� which is why innovators are looking to tackle it on the water, on land and even at its source.

Gathering garbage from the waves听

In discussions about plastic in our waterways, something called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch often comes up. That name may conjure images of a vast plastic island, but 鈥渋t鈥檚 not an island that鈥檚 solid ground, that you would step onto as you would a glacier,鈥� says Myra Hird, a professor of environmental studies at Queen鈥檚 University. There鈥檚 more than one such patch, Hird explains, and those patches are caught in different currents. And the real problem with marine plastic goes beyond what is visible to the naked eye, says Lisa Erdle, the director of science at the California-based non-profit Five Gyre. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really more like the smog of the sea,鈥� she says.

Entrepreneur Richard Hardiman was inspired to find a way to scoop up the plastic trash before it reached the ocean. He doesn鈥檛 have a tech background 鈥斕齢e was originally a disc jockey 鈥� but every time Hardiman visited the harbour in his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, he noticed trash floating in the bay. The best solution the South African authorities could come up with was to send people out in boats to try to catch the garbage in nets.

After reflecting on how a Roomba works, Hardiman started tinkering with what eventually became the WasteShark, which is manufactured by Amsterdam-based . The devices are equipped with GPS and a 4G connection, and newer models will be able to dock and recharge themselves automatically at a floating recharge station.听

Hoovering up litter on land

also uses vacuum tech, but its operate on land. The Quebec-based startup evolved out of a prototype developed by a dozen mechanical engineering students at the University of Sherbrooke, who were dismayed by plastic debris on the beach at Hawaii鈥檚 Kamilo Point and wondered if they could find a solution. In 2019, after graduation, three of the original team joined up to turn their prototype into a business, with the stated aim of developing 鈥渘ew ways to restore ecosystems affected by plastic pollution.鈥�

Since then, HoolaOne has adapted its technology to suit different contexts. Its HO Backpack is a unit that an operator can wear, like a Ghostbuster, with a large hose that vacuums up plastic from difficult-to-access areas. The remote-control HO Wrack, which is about the size of a commercial street sweeping machine, is ideal for vacuuming up nurdles (plastic beads used in manufacturing) and other detritus in locations where spills happen, such as factories or warehouses.

鈥淲e talked to some people at one of the bigger spills, and they were basically just using shovels,鈥� says co-founder Jean David Lantagne. 鈥淥ur technology will help customers respond faster to these spills, reducing their cost and their impact on the ecosystem.鈥� HoolaOne is looking to bring its devices to market this year.

Zapping plastic pollution at its source听

Macarena Cataldo-Hernandez, the founder of Vancouver-based , is trying to solve this problem before microplastics even get into the municipal water supply. Her interest in decontamination was initially sparked by observing inequities around access to potable water and sanitation in her native Chile. 鈥淎t that point, I knew that water was a problem, but I didn鈥檛 know what to do about it,鈥� she says. While obtaining a doctorate in chemical engineering in Italy she learned about the process of electro-oxidation, which uses an electrical current to effectively break down microplastics into non-toxic foundational compounds 鈥� nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water.

After moving to Vancouver to continue her water-related research, Cataldo-Hernandez worked in the apparel and textile industry, which opened her eyes to the effects of manufacturing and supply chains on the environment. 鈥淲hen you look at the sources of microplastics in the oceans,鈥� she says, 鈥渁bout a third of that pollution is coming from washing synthetic textiles in our homes, which is why we鈥檝e turned our focus there.鈥�

The prototype Viridis has developed is about the size of a shoebox and can be attached to a washing machine to remove pollutants, including microplastics and microfibres, before the water leaves the machine. 鈥淲e are able to destroy any kind of organic compound, a dye or pesticides, anything that contains carbon,鈥� says Cataldo-Hernandez, 鈥渁nd it works with microplastics.鈥� She says the company is currently talking to appliance manufacturers about a partnership that would incorporate the device into home washing machines.

Tackling the deluge of microplastics upstream before they make their way into our water supply and the broader aquatic ecosystem 鈥� is an example of how new technology can be applied to transform an unwieldy issue into something more manageable. As Cataldo-Hernandez points out, governments, industrial stakeholders and consumers grasp that there鈥檚 a problem, but there鈥檚 not enough awareness around what solutions exist. 鈥淲e believe that to change the climate crisis, we need to look for decentralized systems,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e aim to change the way that people use water听鈥� individually, and on a community level.鈥�

Mathew Ingram writes about technology for . Torstar, the parent company of the 91原创 Star, has partnered with MaRS to highlight innovation in Canadian companies.