Fionn Ferreira and his project: Removing Microplastics From Water
Fionn Ferreira is our #EcoGenius of the day.
He is a young inventor from West Cork, Ireland, with a world-changing answer to oceanic pollution. As a child growing up near the ocean, he liked to go kayaking and would regularly volunteer at beach cleanups. He’s also loved science, and the method he discovered made him the winner of the 2019 Google Science Fair.
His web is www.fionnferreira.com and in Instagram @fionn.ferreira.
Fionn Ferreira was the winner of the 2019 Google Science Fair GOOGLE SCIENCE FAIR
In his 2019 Google Science Fair proposal, Fionn wrote that he “was alarmed to find out how many microplastics enter our wastewater system and oceans.” Microplastics are tiny bits of plastic that are either broken down from larger pieces, or are intentionally small – like the microbeads used in some health and beauty products (PSA: Don’t use microbeads!) These microplastics tend to pass through water filtration systems and end up in oceans and lakes. Once there, they are eaten by fish and become a potential threat to the ecosystem.
The method he discovered made him it uses a magnetic liquid called ferrofluid which, when added to water, sticks to microplastics. Magnets can then be used to remove the ferrofluid from the water, along with more than 85% of microplastics, according to Ferreira.
Fionn Ferreira when 18 years old was named the overall winner of the 2019 Google Science Fair
Ferreira lived far from any labs, so he built most of the equipment he needed to test his method at home. There were hiccups along the way as he developed a spectrometer to measure microplastics in the water. “Some worked, some didn’t, some things blew up, some caught fire,” says Ferreira. “My parents weren’t very happy with me when the fuses of our house were constantly blowing.”
Now, Ferreira is a student at the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. After graduation, he wants to continue his research and inspire greater interest in STEM. “The more people who have engaged in science generally, the more ideas we generate,” he says.
Source: Karena Phan from www.timeforkids.com
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