The Bubble Barrier: Technology to captureplastic pollution in rivers
Country of application:
The Netherlands
Scope of innovation
☐ Office work
☒ Production / Service supply process
Sector-specific
☐ Yes / please, specify sector(s):
☒ No (relevant for all sectors)
Description of the needs
Every minute, the equivalent of one full garbage truck of plastic trash is dumped into our oceans. This equals 1,440 trucks per day and in total 8 billion kilos each year. With 80% of those plastics coming directly from land. More and more plastic is floating in our oceans and seas. It comes from rubbish that we throw away on the street, fishnets that are discarded, and from washing synthetic clothing and brushing our teeth. All these different types of plastic together form the plastic soup in the seas and oceans.
Weathering, sunlight and wave action break down large pieces of plastic into small pieces. This causes serious pollution. In 1997, Captain Charles Moore sailed from Hawaii to southern California, taking an unusual route that took him through the North Pacific Gyre. There, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he saw pieces of plastic floating by every day. He later returned to the area to carry out research. There seemed to be a significantly higher concentration of plastic there than elsewhere in the ocean. The plastic appeared not only to float, but also to be carried by the water column. Moore called this phenomenon the ‘plastic soup’, a term which is now used around the world.
The oceans constitute 72% of the earth’s surface and are our primary oxygen suppliers. They are the primary source of food for more than half the world’s population. But because plastic is not biodegradable, the plastic soup is lethal for many marine animals..
When plastic degrades and fragments into small pieces, it can release toxic substances. All sorts of animals that live in or from the sea, even minute zooplankton, mistake plastic and microplastics for food. These toxic substances then enter our food chain. On top of this, en route to the sea, plastic fragments absorb all kinds of toxic substances from the sewers and polluted areas that they pass through. They become toxic bombs. These substances are released in the bodies of the organisms that eat the plastic.
The plastic pollution of the seawater can also seriously damage our health. Most of the pollution by far comes from land.
At least 80% of the plastic rubbish in the oceans are dumped by industry and by people on land. It is carried to sea by rivers, canals, harbours and the wind. On top of this, shipping, fisheries and the off-shore industry are important contributors to pollution, though compared to the land sources, this is ‘only’ 20%.
Part of the plastic that we use ends up in the oceans. What happens to it and where does it go? Plastic can be found on every beach in the world. Microplastics are found at 5,000 metres depth, and plastic bottles have been found at depths of 3,500 metres. It’s actually ‘raining’ plastic in the ocean. Scientists are still far from mapping all the plastic pollution in the oceans.
Description of the solution
The Bubble Barrier is the first technology to use a bubble curtain to capture plastic pollution in rivers. Over the past 7 years, the company has developed the most effective and energy-efficient solution to trap and remove plastic without hindering ship or fish passage. They create a bubble curtain by pumping air through a perforated tube on the bottom of the waterway. The bubble curtain creates an upward current which directs plastic to the surface. By placing the Bubble Barrier diagonally across the river, the natural flow of the water will push the plastic waste to the side and into the catchment system. The catchment system is designed to work in harmony with the bubble curtain to collect and retain plastics. Following collection, it will be removed for processing and reuse.
The Bubble Barrier comprises three main components: the bubble curtain, the compressor, and the catchment system. The three components are designed to work together to create the optimum solution for each location. The components are:
• Bubble curtain – The location and necessary airflow of the bubble curtain are adapted according to the flow dynamics of the river or waterway. The bubble hose is made from rubber tubing and is ideally suited to application in a wide range of locations.
• Air supply – The bubble curtain is created by using compressed ambient air. Electric compressors that are optimised for the bubble curtain and tailored to the requirements of continuous operation and to any location-specific characteristics are used. Wherever possible, the Bubble Barrier is powered with renewable energy. This may vary per city and infrastructure.
• Catchment System – The bubble curtain is paired with the most suitable catchment system. A catchment system is elaborated which can be adapted to the local infrastructure at the site, for example, to accommodate how it will be emptied by local authorities.
Description of the effect
Bubble Barrier Benefits:
• Safe for fish passage – Migrating fish can pass through the bubble curtain or through the system’s fish passage.
• Extensive reach – The bubble curtain extends across the full width and depth of the waterway.
• Versatile – The system is suitable for a wide range of locations, without requiring changes to existing local infrastructure.
Company/companies that developed/implemented/offer the innovation
The Great Bubble Barrier: A proven concept to reduce river plastics and an elegant bubbly solution to a worldwide problem.
Too much of the waste that our society produces ends up in the water, where it damages marine and human life. Sea turtles and fish get caught up in plastic, ships are obstructed in their paths, and microplastics form a health hazard for the smallest to the largest organisms. Plastic soup is recognised as a international problem more and more, by both the general public, municipalities, government and the European Union.
The company believe plastic waste can be caught before it reaches the oceans. The current solutions that stop waste in the rivers have two major drawbacks unfortunately; they block ship traffic and/or hinder fish movement. They searched for an elegant solution that blocks waste in the river, but also allows the passage of fish and ships. And they arrived at a very simple idea; a barrier of bubbles.
The Great Bubble Barrier offers a solution for different problem-owners: the company can help governments meet changing regulation on waste management in waterways, but also help cities fight plastic problems in their waters and help waterboards to save on their cleanups after high water.
contact@thegreatbubblebarrier.com
Additional information