Stopping Macro- and Microplastic Pollutants by Installing Solar-Powered Air Bubble Screening (SBS) Device at Discharge Wastewater Canal to the Sea of Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Project Background

The widespread use of single-use plastics has become deeply ingrained in our daily lives. Sihanoukville, a rapidly growing coastal city in Cambodia, attracts a large number of tourists each year, leading to a significant increase in plastic pollution in both freshwater and marine environments. Leakage of plastic waste into the sea makes this a global issue requiring effective waste management solutions.

This project aims to develop and test the screening device to be a practical and impactful solution for Sihanoukville and potentially a model for other coastal cities facing similar challenges.

Objective

Scope of Work

To combat plastic pollution in Sihanoukville's waterways, this project proposed the development of an innovative approach by installing a solar-powered air bubble screening (SBS) device (together with the common physical screening) at the discharge wastewater canal. This device would effectively block macro- and microplastics before they enter the sea, reducing both types of pollution.

Our Impacts

1. Enhance Plastic Removal: By incorporating physical and bubble screening together with user-friendly waste discharge processes, the plastic screening device will effectively capture plastic at different size through the optimized configuration. This innovation is expected to achieve an effective and high plastic removal efficiency, comparing to the existing bubble barriers.

2. Scalable and User-Friendly Device: The project will design the screening device using readily available and affordable materials, making it easily scalable for deployment at various locations. The design will also allow to operate individually without specialized skills. The user-friendly waste carrier will be designed to pick up the collected waste to the site, where ready for solid waste transport. After successfully tested and fabricated, it can be scaled and applied for other canals in Sihanoukville and other similar cities facing plastic pollution issue.

Project Activities

1. PLASTIC POLLUTION ANALYSIS

This part aimed to analyze the plastic pollution in both types of macro- and microplastic and its characterization such as sharp, size, and color in the studies wastewater canal. In the project, the analysis of plastic pollution was conducted for different sessions including this season of the analysis of status for the baseline assessment, the analysis for evaluating the screening performance, etc.

2. DESIGN AND OPTIMIZE LAB-SCALE SCREENING

This part aimed to develop and test an innovative, eco-friendly system for capturing both macro- and micro-plastics from wastewater canals in the laboratory examination. This system combines solar power, physical screening, and air bubble technology to create a sustainable and efficient solution. The goal is to produce a scalable, modular design that can be easily adapted to various water body sizes.

3.FABRICATION AND FIELD TESTING

After the design and lab testing, this part aimed to fabricate and test a set screening device for removing plastic waste in real-world wastewater canal. The device will be optimized through iterative testing under various conditions to achieve a replicable and scalable solution for effective and sustainable application.

4.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND DISSEMINATION

Beside plastic screening testing, a project also conducted the project orientation of the current project and survey on plastic waste management to high school students of Preah Sihanouk Highschool, where considered as the upstream plastic polluter in the target area. Not only sharing the project information, a training content was also included to enhance the plastic waste management awareness to the community.