46 ms·

Effectively collecting micro-plastics (the real problem) will likely require new technology that provides an attractive field that resonates with plastics. Pla

Effectively collecting micro-plastics (the real problem) will likely require new technology that provides an attractive field that resonates with plastics. Plastics are complex hydrocarbons (oils) so you would need to provide some sort of magnetic effect that energizes and attracts the hydrocarbons to a central point. This would be something that is chemically non-polar on both ends of a chemical chain, emits a high resonance electro-static field, and something that repels polar chemicals and anything with a covalent bonding. Essentially, it would be a static electricity anti-soap fixed to a point.

Someone 8y ago
”collecting micro-plastics (the real problem)” The real problem is getting them out of the water. I expect the solution to that will not be collecting them, but breaking them down faster. It wouldn’t surprise me if micro-organisms beat us to solving that problem, in particular for pure hydro-carbons.
- austincheney 8y ago
  Plastics breakdown naturally in water. This is why there are now observable quantities of plastics in all human water supplies including the water you drink, bathe in, and cook with. This is also why the bigger problem is micro-plastics, which are those sufficiently broken down microscopic particles. This is also the primary problem in the great Pacific garbage patch, the plastics you don't see. If you can consolidate these particles with some manner of attractive force you can extract them.
  - TeMPOraL 8y ago
    > Plastics breakdown naturally in water. This is why there are now observable quantities of plastics in all human water supplies including the water you drink, bathe in, and cook with. Two meanings of the word "break down" here; I guess you mean plastic objects breaking down into smaller pieces, and GP meant hydrocarbon chains breaking down into smaller chains and possibly constituent atoms. The former is the source of the problem, the latter would be a solution.
TeMPOraL 8y ago
I don't think attraction would be needed. If you could make a material that can selectively bind to plastics, you could just make "filters" out of it that rely on plastic particles just coming in contact with the capturing material. This reminds me of what I read about molecular biology - the way proteins capture stuff in cells is essentially by being correctly shaped + relying on random walk ensuring everything comes into contact with everything else at some point.
vfinn 8y ago
I maybe ignorant, but couldn't you just heat up the water to have a leftover lump (or something) of microplastics. At least if energy consumption wasn't an issue.
- monk_e_boy 8y ago
  You'd kill all the plankton
- austincheney 8y ago
  No, water is extremely efficient at conducting heat. Until the creation of synthetic fluids for this purpose, in about the last 25 years, deionized water was the most efficient conductor of heat known. Using a heat based process on the ocean would thus mean heating the entire ocean, which simply isn't viable.

Someone 8y ago

”collecting micro-plastics (the real problem)” The real problem is getting them out of the water. I expect the solution to that will not be collecting them, but breaking them down faster. It wouldn’t surprise me if micro-organisms beat us to solving that problem, in particular for pure hydro-carbons.

austincheney 8y ago
Plastics breakdown naturally in water. This is why there are now observable quantities of plastics in all human water supplies including the water you drink, bathe in, and cook with. This is also why the bigger problem is micro-plastics, which are those sufficiently broken down microscopic particles. This is also the primary problem in the great Pacific garbage patch, the plastics you don't see. If you can consolidate these particles with some manner of attractive force you can extract them.
- TeMPOraL 8y ago
  > Plastics breakdown naturally in water. This is why there are now observable quantities of plastics in all human water supplies including the water you drink, bathe in, and cook with. Two meanings of the word "break down" here; I guess you mean plastic objects breaking down into smaller pieces, and GP meant hydrocarbon chains breaking down into smaller chains and possibly constituent atoms. The former is the source of the problem, the latter would be a solution.

TeMPOraL 8y ago

I don't think attraction would be needed. If you could make a material that can selectively bind to plastics, you could just make "filters" out of it that rely on plastic particles just coming in contact with the capturing material. This reminds me of what I read about molecular biology - the way proteins capture stuff in cells is essentially by being correctly shaped + relying on random walk ensuring everything comes into contact with everything else at some point.

vfinn 8y ago

I maybe ignorant, but couldn't you just heat up the water to have a leftover lump (or something) of microplastics. At least if energy consumption wasn't an issue.

monk_e_boy 8y ago
You'd kill all the plankton
austincheney 8y ago
No, water is extremely efficient at conducting heat. Until the creation of synthetic fluids for this purpose, in about the last 25 years, deionized water was the most efficient conductor of heat known. Using a heat based process on the ocean would thus mean heating the entire ocean, which simply isn't viable.