{"id":7636,"date":"2024-06-13T12:44:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T15:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/?post_type=pratica&p=7636"},"modified":"2024-07-11T15:21:21","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T18:21:21","slug":"students-discover-how-to-clean-beaches-infected-with-cyanobacteria","status":"publish","type":"pratica","link":"https:\/\/solvefortomorrowlatam.com\/en\/case\/students-discover-how-to-clean-beaches-infected-with-cyanobacteria\/","title":{"rendered":"Young students discover how to clean beaches infected with cyanobacteria"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cCyanobacteria\u201d may seem strange to many people, but they are part of life in Carmelo, a city \u200b\u200bo n the banks of the R\u00edo de la Plata, in western Uruguay. Also called blue or cyanophycean algae, cyanobacteria are microorganisms that grow very quickly in the summer and form a large green spot that dominates aquatic environments like a plague. But there is a solution: to filter them with a simple device, made from a variety of common materials. The discovery made by a group of students was one of the finalists in the 10th<\/sup> edition of Solve for Tomorrow in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contact with the skin, cyanobacteria can cause irritation and this harms tourism and the city\u2019s economy. \u201cCarmelo is a city surrounded by water and it is common in summer not to be able to bathe due to cyanobacteria. The students thought about the difficulties that this entails and wanted to change that reality,\u201d says teacher Victoria Calcaterra, who mediated<\/a> the project, titled “Cianobacterias”(Cyanobacteria, in english).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The young people involved with the topic were in the sixth year of high school (the last year of compulsory schooling) at the high school Liceo Miguel Banchero Noain. In Uruguay, this degree includes a subject called Economic and Social Studies, characterized by project-based learning<\/a>. \u201cThroughout the year we sometimes have up to 70 projects simultaneously, thus many ideas arise and we develop them,\u201d explains the educator, responsible for this subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Contamination<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the three teens from “Cianobacterias”, one of the kickstarts was a lecture at the school about the matter, with a group from the Faculty of Sciences of Uruguay. Taking this into account, the students made an empathy map and defined the \u201cpersona\u201d, which is the representation of the \u201cideal customer\u201d of a project or company. That is a resource used to better understand the needs of the final customer. \u201cThat person could be anyone in the city, since this problem impacts everyone in some way,\u201d points out the teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putting research into practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Then, the first step was to engage in in-depth research on cyanobacteria: why they appear, what their properties are and how they could be removed from the water. But putting the ideas into practice was a path full of challenges. Not always when they went to collect the organisms they  were there. \u201cThere were about 20 items of conditions that had to be met for the appearance of cyanobacteria. For this project, we focused on four: temperature, humidity, what had to do with water currents and times of year,\u201d she reports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At times when conditions were favorable and these organisms were seen, they had difficulty filtering them from the water. \u201cThey looked for various alternatives as references: from the hemodialysis mechanism that filters the blood to the resources used in the countryside to make water drinkable,\u201d she describes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, they used three types of filters. The first was the thickest and was made with a mosquito net material. The second used gauze similar to that used in dialysis. The last one was smaller, a manual pool cleaning device was used. \u201cWe reduced the quantity because we knew more or less the size of a cyanobacteria and how to filter it,\u201d she adds. The team was careful not to filter fish or other species along with the bacteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Eureka moment! <\/h5>\n

Although the group considered already tested bibliographic references on cyanobacteria, they had to learn in practice how important it is for projects to adapt and revise initial ideas based on new conditions. Here, the original idea was to make a robust filter to occupy a large beach area, but this would require a more complex structure, such as an engine. \u201cWe changed to a smaller filter, a <\/span>prototype<\/span><\/a> that can be expanded later,\u201d says the teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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It was very positive to see how they transformed in the process. They gained resilience in the face of challenges and even those who were very shy and had never participated in something like this, in the end had a different attitude. The families were also very grateful, says the educator.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

They tested the cleaning system and designed the prototype in a digital version, which can now be made by anyone, through 3D printing. The filtering device can be connected to an Arduino board that detects when there is a possible cyanobacteria bloom. In these cases, the float is deflated and, thanks to a motor, it is rolled towards the collection area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another very important moment for the team was the trip to Buenos Aires, for the Solve for Tomorrow awards ceremony. \u201cWe had a remarkable experience because of the contact with other people, seeing the research they did, the resources they used,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Collaboration to advance<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the team, collaboration<\/a> with allies was essential. They had the support of the school’s Chemistry teacher, who guided them on the filtration mechanisms and the chemical properties of cyanobacteria. In addition, the Biology teacher helped to select the necessary materials. The Escuela T\u00e9cnica de Reparaciones, Construcciones Navales y Anexos (Technical School of Repairs, Naval Constructions and Annexes), made available a pH meter to detect water conditions. Furthermore, the state department responsible for drinking water supply, Obras Sanitarias del Estado (State Sanitation Works Office), indicated the best places to collect cyanobacteria in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project is now available to the public authorities as a basis for the development of a larger mechanism that can be used in the city. \u201cThe students will continue to the university but they left the project so that at the school and the Faculty of Chemistry, other people could access the materials and continue working with cyanobacteria if they want,\u201d tells the teacher. Together with researchers from the Faculty of Sciences, the team still sees a future possibility of producing biofuels with these organisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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