Ok, let’s get you caught up. PolyGone Systems is a company founded by Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks, two designers out of Princeton who, while looking into water filtration, realized just how prevalent microplastics are in our water systems. What are microplastics, you might be asking? Well, at a basic level, microplastics are plastic particles […]
Ok, let’s get you caught up. PolyGone Systems is a company founded by Yidian Liu and Nathaniel Banks, two designers out of Princeton who, while looking into water filtration, realized just how prevalent microplastics are in our water systems.
What are microplastics, you might be asking? Well, at a basic level, microplastics are plastic particles and fragments that come from a variety of different plastic products. Because microplastics are so small, they can easily enter water systems but cannot be easily removed, not even with advanced filtration and purification techniques.
Nobody wants to drink tiny bits of plastic, and since existing systems can’t filter these microplastics out of the water we use from day to day, different groups have been looking for ways to effectively filter microplastics, which brings us right back to PolyGone Systems.
Under the leadership of Yidian and Nathaniel, PolyGone Systems has developed a unique filter that can remove microplastics from water.
The idea and the early prototypes were so promising that the company went on to receive extensive funding from the likes of Princeton University, NJCSIT & NJEDA, and federal agencies, including the NSF and NOAA.
Now it’s time for PolyGone Systems to test these filters at full scale, and this is what we’ll be talking about most today, with the help of Yidian, who shared info on the prep work, the nature of the pilot tests themselves, and the issues the team will be looking out for.
While these pilot tests will be the first full-scale tests of PolyGone Systems’ filters, the filters have of course been tested before, just on a much smaller scale.
“Our initial tests were conducted using simple laboratory flume tanks, which are essentially recirculating reservoirs that can simulate river flow. We introduced fluorescent microplastics into one end of the tank and placed our filters in the middle for a set period of time. By measuring changes in fluorescence over time, we could get an idea of how well our filters were intercepting the microplastics.”
The core purpose of these initial tests was to figure out how well the filters would perform at different flow rates and for different lengths of time.
This led to a relatively small field test in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where they used a long flotation frame that suspended the filters across the width of the stream.
“From these initial tests, we found that our earliest prototype was able to capture around 25% of microplastics in the stream on average over a month-long period. However, this was significantly lower than our lab efficacy rates and highlighted the unforeseen real-world issues that can affect our filter performance, such as biofilm propagation and flow surges. These tests were crucial in allowing us to better understand the real-world challenges we may face.”
With these challenges in mind, the team was ready to start planning full-scale tests. Let’s talk about what that planning looked like.
Nathaniel Building the First Frame
Preparation for these pilot tests has been extensive. Not only has the team had to choose the right place and time for these tests, but they’ve also had to further optimize the filter design and secure the funds required to actually execute the tests.
Here are some of the nitty-gritty details.
Since the filters didn’t perform as well during that small-scale field test as they did in the lab, the design needed to be changed.
The main issue that needed to be addressed was the potential clogging caused by biofilm growth on the fibers of the filters.
“To overcome this challenge, we re-engineered our filter to utilize a different fiber material that inhibits biofilm growth. We have tested our new filter design in the lab through subsequent small-scale field tests and observed it to be both more effective at capturing microplastics and have far less biofilm build-up. This has made our filter more efficient and easier to maintain in the field.”
Next up, the team needed to secure adequate funding and form partnerships with water purification authorities.
Conducting these tests is expensive, and PolyGone Systems can’t just waltz into a water treatment plant and start testing without permission.
Thankfully, Yidian and Nathaniel, in particular, have been getting the word out.
“Over the past year, our team has been actively attending conferences and tradeshows, reaching out to willing partners to collaborate with us for large-scale pilots. We have also secured relevant grants to fund the fabrication of full-scale pilot equipment.”
PolyGone Systems hasn’t been around for very long, but they’ve gained a huge amount of attention in that time, and their success made it that much easier to gather the resources they needed to conduct these tests.
“Our proactive approach to securing grants and partners has placed us in a favorable position with a diverse set of willing pilot collaborators and ample funding to finance our upcoming pilot endeavors.”
Maybe you’ve been wondering where exactly these pilot tests are going to take place. The three tests will be conducted in New Jersey, Canada, and Barcelona. Why such varied locations?
“We want to test our filtration system in a variety of settings and applications to assess the limits of our technology. In accordance with this goal, each of our upcoming pilots tests completely different use case scenarios for our microplastic filter.”
Each location has its own specific conditions. The test in New Jersey will focus on removing microplastics from treated wastewater at an industrial scale.
ACUA Wastewater Treatment Facility in Atlantic City, NJ
“Our second pilot in Canada will be conducted as part of a large scientific experiment in Canada’s IISD experimental lakes in collaboration with the University of Toronto. In this case, our team will be using our filters along a lake outflow to capture microplastics being introduced to the lake by other research teams as a means to both monitor microplastic quantities in the lake and remediate microplastic pollution in lake and reservoir environments.”
The final pilot test planned for this year will take place across several Barcelona marinas. In this case, the team will work with an autonomous robot company that will use the PolyGone Systems filter with a robot designed for aquatic trash collection.
“This can be used to validate our tech in both coastal environments and as an attachment to mobile aquatic devices instead of just static filtration barriers.”
The planning for each test is rather different, especially in terms of logistics. The New Jersey test is going to be particularly robust.
Nathaniel Presenting at the ACUA Wastewater Treatment Facility
“Our pilot in NJ is the most intensive, as it requires over 300 filters and a custom-built mechanical frame to automate filter insertion and removal on an industrial scale. To achieve this, we are collaborating with industrial manufacturers and engineering groups to design and fabricate the necessary equipment. We plan to have the system fully installed and operational by Q3 of 2023.”
For the Canadian pilot test, the team is trying to improve their analysis protocols and work with Canadian research teams to oversee the filters when they’re operating in the field.
For Barcelona, the team has to be sure that the integration of their filter with the robot is as seamless as possible.
Regarding our Barcelona field test, our team has the least direct involvement in the field test, as our filter will be an addition to another company’s existing robotic system. However, we are collaborating with our partner’s engineers to ensure seamless integration of our filter into their aquatic robot.
Of course, yet another aspect of these tests will be keeping an eye out for any problems that might come up – not logistical issues but issues with the filters or the systems themselves.
Especially with the variety of locations and test scenarios, there are bound to be problems of some kind, and Yidian mentioned a specific concern that they’ll be looking for across all of the tests.
“Recent studies have revealed that many plastic collection technologies tend to capture more organic sediments and biomatter than plastic debris, particularly in rural environments. This poses a significant challenge, as these organic materials are essential for aquatic ecosystems to thrive. We must, therefore, determine the composition and quantity of any other substances that attach or propagate along our filter to ensure that it is not causing any adverse effects on the aquatic environment.”
For obvious reasons, the collection of organic materials could potentially do harm to a natural ecosystem, which is the furthest thing from what PolyGone Systems is trying to accomplish.
On top of that, the team needs to look out for any issues that might come up with putting the system in place or operating it.
“We anticipate that there will be challenges in implementing and operating the system that we haven’t foreseen. These could range from minor issues like time-consuming installation and removal to major problems like filters breaking or being washed away in high-flow environments.”
Still, Yidian and the rest of the team are excited to get feedback and find ways to improve their filters and their system further.
“Our focus remains on ensuring the success of these pilots, using the insights gained from them to enhance our filter technology, and eventually making it widely available for the benefit of the environment and society.”
These pilot tests will no doubt be a major step for PolyGone Systems. Specifically, the results of these tests will potentially prove the validity of the company’s design and the implementation of that design, not just in the lab, not just in a small stream, but out in the world, where these filters would actually be deployed.
“We have had numerous discussions with governmental regulators and private companies who have expressed a keen interest in the field performance metrics of our technology. These upcoming pilots will provide us with the data we need to satisfy their demands for precise efficacy metrics in real-world scenarios.”
Even further, each test seeks to validate a different vertical. The New Jersey test is relevant to industrial-scale water treatment, the Canada test is relevant to microplastic monitoring, and the Barcelona test is relevant to USV filtration.
“If all three pilots are successful, we will have demonstrated the versatility of our filter technology across a range of applications.”
For now, the team continues to prepare for all three tests, which will take place later this year. Of course, we can’t say for sure quite yet, but there are plenty of reasons to be hopeful that these filters will pave the way toward a future of truly clean water.
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