Bubble Barrier: An Experimental Concept in Which a Stream of Rising Bubbles, Forces Plastic Garbage to One Side To Be Collected

Since plastic waste is a vast subject, it have been divided into helpful sections in the hopes that they will motivate people to pledge to reduce their own plastic usage, whether as a company or as an individual.

In July 2022, Katwijk will become the location of the first river bubble barrier in the world, an experimental idea in which a 120-meter stream of rising bubbles and the water current push plastic waste to one side so that it can be gathered.

Plastic waste

(Photo : VINCENT JANNINK/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Plastic pollution, also known as plastic waste, is the buildup of plastic items in the environment that negatively impacts humans, animals, and their habitats, as per Clean Streets.

In addition, it alludes to the sizeable quantity of plastic that isn't recycled and winds up in landfills or, in developing nations, is dumped in uncontrolled dump sites.

For instance, more than 5 million tons of plastic are used annually in the UK, but only 25% of them are recycled.

The three quarters that aren't recycled that are released into the environment, where they contaminate our oceans and harm our ecosystem.

The large percentage of plastic waste generated in less developed countries ends up making its way to the ocean, putting marine life in particular at risk.

Also Read: The Amount of Plastic Waste on Earth Is Enough to Wrap the Whole Planet

The plastic barrier in the Dutch River

The first river bubble barrier will be installed in Katwijk on July 1, 2022.

This experimental design uses the water current and a 120-meter stream of rising bubbles to push plastic waste to one side so that it can be gathered, as per The Guardian.

According to Philip Ehrhorn, chief technology officer at the Dutch startup The Great Bubble Barrier, they place a vented tube on the bottom of the waterway, at an angle, and afterward pumps through compressed air.

The rising air bubbles start creating an upward current which will lift the plastic from the water column towards the surface, and then on the surface - together with the river's flow - it is all pushed to one side.

The pumping station provides the flow, but the wind also can push the trash into the catchment system.

Bas Knapp, a member of the Rijnland water board's executive board, is spending €42,000 a year to maintain the bubble barrier because he doesn't think it will stop fish migration.

They initiated a test that revealed that only one out of every 233 pieces of plastic larger than 1 mm is taken out of the water in the pumping station, he claims.

However, they anticipated that between 86% and 90 % of the plastic waste will be eliminated with the bubble barrier.

The trial was very encouraging.

One of their largest river mouths, the river is a great location to test a promising pilot's hypothesis about how to lessen the amount of plastic that enters the ocean.

However, some researchers pointed out that while river plastics can still damage ecosystems and people's livelihoods, they may not always stop in the ocean.

River systems vary as well, according to Tim van Emmerik, an assistant professor in the hydrology and quantitative water management department at Wageningen University.

He said that it's incredible how different rivers can be around the world, from broad deltas like the Mekong to tiny canals in Amsterdam and Leiden.

There are high hopes that Katwijk will soon see the construction of a visitor and educational center right next to the bubble barrier to accomplish this.

A gentle bubble stream that resembles a jacuzzi breaks the surface of the river underneath the summer sun.