Underwater Microplastic Collector Drone

Interactive Map

How to Interact:

  1. Put the mouse on orange dots on map, will show labels on the drone stations ( based on public water front database)

  2. Put mouse on New York City land will show the zip code of current neighborhood, estimated pollution index of the neighborhood and area. The larger circle and darker color means the heavier pollution the neighborhood generates.

Microplastic Pollution

What started out as a great idea for cheap, lightweight, disposable food ware in the 1950s, has become a ubiquitous plague on our environment and deadly threat to wildlife. Plastic enters our waterways through littering, improper waste management, and via stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows. Plastic will never biodegrade once it reaches the water. Instead, the sun’s light and water act as shredders, breaking the material into tiny microplastic particles, smaller than a grain of rice. This process is called photo degradation.

Plastics also absorb harmful contaminants already present in the water, like DDT. Fish and birds can get entangled in plastic or mistake it for food, threatening the human food chain.

Mapping

Raising Awareness

To address plastics and other problems that could affect human health, the NIH and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are jointly funding four new Centers for Oceans and Human Health and renewing two centers as part of a marine-related health research program. Each Center will focus on a different aspect of the interplay between environmental science, climate change, and human health in the ocean or Great Lakes. Together the two agencies plan to invest more than $42 million over five years for the centers program, continuing a two-decade long collaboration. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) administers the centers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and supports individual research projects that focus on the ocean and the Great Lakes and their impact on human health.

Drone Catalogue

The Solution

To prevent plastic pollution from entering our waterways, we must stop it at its source. Due in part from Baykeeper’s research and advocacy, Governor Murphy signed the strongest and comprehensive plastics reduction law in the country in November 2020. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Single-use plastic carryout bags are banned in all stores throughout the state

  • Paper carryout out bags are banned in grocery stores larger than 2,500 square feet

  • Polystyrene foam (think Styrofoam) food service ware is banned

  • Straws are only available upon request at food service establishments

Drone Design

The waterborne microplastic purification drone is an innovative solution designed to tackle the growing problem of microplastic pollution in aquatic environments. Equipped with advanced filtration systems, this autonomous drone navigates through water bodies, identifying and collecting microplastic particles. Utilizing AI and machine learning algorithms, the drone can efficiently map out areas with high concentrations of microplastics and adjust its cleaning route in real-time. Its compact and eco-friendly design ensures minimal disruption to the aquatic ecosystem while maximizing the removal of harmful plastics. The drone's capabilities include data collection and analysis, providing valuable insights into pollution levels and aiding in the development of more effective environmental protection strategies. By deploying these drones, we can significantly reduce the presence of microplastics in our water systems, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable environment.