Impact
While some of us come from different parts of Greece, all of us are staying in Thessaloniki during the school year. We have gone past the Thermaikos gulf at least once and wondered why it smelled so bad. This prompted us to take action and not just contribute to locals, but also to their businesses.
Eutrophication can be very disruptive to businesses due to its smell and look. Our research indicates that businesses on the road right next to the gulf were particularly affected. They usually have a view of the sea, but when eutrophication takes hold, the customers can only see the microorganisms floating on the surface. Since eutrophication tends to happen in the summer when more tourists visit Greece, the tourism industry is affected.
Taking into account the large contribution of tourism to Greece’s economy, it’s clear that eutrophication is not just an inconvenience, but a phenomenon that can affect people’s livelihoods. Additionally, one of our biggest sponsors, Trata, who is in the fishing industry can a significantly low yield under eutrophication conditions.
The recycling municipality of our city has made it very clear, after a mini-interview in a beach cleaning activity we attended, that eutrophication is one of, if not the most detrimental issues our city faces today, with regards to maritime trading activity.
This is what inspired us to pursue a project such as this one... A better future for bodies of water, such as our beloved Thermaikos, all across the world.
The image is the property of user "Annatsach" on Wikimedia Commons.
Scalability & Ethics
However, we also recognize that eutrophication is not a problem exclusive to our city or country. This is why our design filter-based was designed to be scalable. The production of our enzymes is performed using industry-tested genetically modified bacteria. This technique is employed to produce medicine as common as insulin. Furthermore, the filter structure was 3D-printed, lending to an easy-to-make design. What’s best, the filter is made to be robust and since the enzymes are immobilized, they’re expected to last for a long time.
The good thing about filters is their ease of installment and, thus, removal. In case the microorganisms causing eutrophication adapt to consume our nitrate substitute or the resulting substance harms sea life, our filter can simply be removed.
Based on our knowledge of the city, local businesses, and the broader impact of eutrophication, we invented a novel filter to combat eutrophication. We expect it to be easy to build and install to serve as many areas as possible, while ensuring it can be easily removed in case of an adverse effect on the ecosystem.