
Chloe Z. 2025 | BASIS Independent Fremont
- Project Title: Prototype Design: Creating a Machine to Remove Microplastics from Ocean Water
- BASIS Independent Advisor: Ms. Abodouma
“With great power comes great responsibility” is the proverb popularized by Spider-Man in 1962. In that same decade, the reign of plastic began. Today, some 358 trillion particles of microplastics are floating upon the surface of the world’s oceans, and that’s only the surface of the problem. We still do not fully understand the long-term consequences of microplastics, but we know that microplastics release toxic chemicals linked to DNA damage, cancer, and reproductive complications into their surroundings as they break down into smaller particles. Although some research has been underway to discover methods to remove microplastics from our environment, much of that research has not found success beyond the lab bench. This project is an attempt to make a small dent in the 358 trillion by bridging the gap between research and its application. I will automate a method developed by Fionn Ferreira to remove microplastics from water with ferrofluids, by creating consecutive prototypes to refine this idea. Interning at The Marine Mammal Center, I will conduct lab testing to determine my prototypes’ efficacy as a way to guide my design process and gain a more complete understanding of the impact of microplastics on the health of our global ecosystem. It’s time we took up our “great responsibility.”