7th ISF

ENGR017 - Solar Energy Powered Microplastic Trapping and Collecting Buoy

Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that are smaller than 5 mm. in length. These tiny particles are small enough to easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean. Consequently, aquatic life could be endangered. To solve the problem of microplastics in seawater, this research aims to construct a buoy to trap and collect microplastics on seawater surfaces using solar energy for the study and research of microplastics in seawater. A microplastic filter layer consisting of four different sizes of mesh including 1.50, 0.46, 0.20-, and 0.08-mm. mesh which was fabricated to separate microplastics effectively. Moreover, the authors also installed sensors to measure the temperature, turbidity, acidity-alkalinity (pH), and salinity of seawater. The ability to trap and collect microplastics from a buoy was investigated on 4 different Rayong beaches. As a result, the filter layers can trap and collect microplastics as it was designed. Most of the collected microplastics have the characteristics of particles, fibers, and films. Seawater in Moonlight Beach, Phala Beach, Phayun Beach, and Phe Beach has variations of temperature between sea and environment 1.618, 2.897, 2.785, and 2.805 °C respectively, the turbidity values 2775.69, 2764.96, 2777.53, and 2772.94 NTU respectively, while the pH values are 6.67, 6.65, 6.62, and 6.66 respectively, and the salinity values are 65.81, 59.05, 50.52, and 57.58 ppt respectively.

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