MakerFaire: Through the Eyes of a Student
As a cooperative education student with a passion for learning, I jumped at the opportunity to attend the School Maker Faire alongside Brilliant Labs. For the afternoon I worked as a traveling reporter, listening to students’ presentations and interviewing them on their projects.
One project, in particular, stood out to me. Grade 12 Advanced Placement research student at St. Malachy’s Memorial High School Jessica Graham devoted her year to the research on the use of magnetic extraction to remove microplastics from the ocean.
Jessica was a silver medalist at the provincial science fair winning the Canadian Stockholm Junior Water Prize and the Youth Can Innovate Award with an opportunity to go to Sweden to represent New Brunswick in the international science fair.
Up to now, researchers have been exploring the extraction of different microplastics using stationary samples in a controlled environment. The Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans are concerned about microplastics as they are widespread throughout our oceans and put organisms at physical and toxicological risk. These plastics range from microscopic to up to 5 millimetres in size and can be ingested by all types of animals from small invertebrates to large mammals. “The largest contributors to microplastics in the water are from land-based sources as microplastics are mainly introduced into rivers and oceans from plastic litter, treated wastewater release, or sewer overflow during high rains.” Other on-the-water activities like fishing and aquaculture also contribute to microplastic pollution. When equipment is used, like plastic nets, rope or cages, over time small pieces can break off and enter the water (DFO, 2021).
Jessica’s project tests magnetic extraction in a system with continuous movement using a drum-like device. By modifying her iron nanoparticles, in such a way that they could polarize with the microplastics, the microplastics would become attracted to the drum allowing them to be extracted.
Jessica had three hypotheses: The type of the microplastic would have no effect on the removal efficiency of the microplastics, which she disproved with her research with having a significant difference between microplastic types. The size of the microplastic would have no effect on the microplastics’ removal efficiency, and again, with her research contrasting this, she rejected this hypothesis. Her third and final hypothesis was that the speed of the rotating magnetic drum would have no effect on the microplastic removal efficiency which aligned well with her experimentation on the drum speed demonstrating no difference in the microplastics’ removal efficiency.
Jessica’s research was inspired by a Google science fair project based on the removal of microplastics from water using ferrofluids and a magnet. She was extremely intrigued by the system since she’s never heard of magnetic extraction for microplastics. During her formal research on the removal of microplastics from water using magnetic extraction, she noticed a gap in the field. There were no papers attempting to use magnetic extraction in a continuous manner, researchers were solely testing magnetic extraction in a static manner. This discovery resulted in her choice of using a rotating magnetic drum as her magnetic extraction method in a flowing system using modified nanoparticles to polarize the microplastics.
The concern about microplastics was shared by other makers too. Deer Island Community School student, with the guidance of their teacher Brent Anderson, have been gathering old fishing ropes through fishermen donationations and beach cleanups. They wash, untangle and sort the ropes and, using a loom they made from piping, the crew weave the ropes into durable orange, blue and red mats that are ideal for outdoor summer livingspaces or anywhere that needs a decorative waterproof surface. The best part is that the students are learning how repurposing the old plastic materials and are working to help keep their island beaches clean, curb landfill use and reduce microplastic pollution in the Bay of Fundy.
According to statistics Canada, Canadians consume more than 3 million tonnes of plastic waste every year and only 9% is recycled. With the longest coastline in the world and one-quarter of the world’s freshwater, the Canadian Federal Government is challenging all levels of governments and citizens to take responsibility and seize the opportunity to “tackle this challenge” by considering how we can help make our “economy stronger and protect the wildlife and places we love”. To reach a zero plastic waste future we will have to find ways to ween our culture off the need for plastics (Goverment of Canada, 2022). Let’s #BeatPlasticPollution!
With the help of Brilliant Labs, science teachers are introducing students to bioplastics and bioleather to help solve the fastfashion/plastics problem. Bioleather can be grown from microbial cellulose to create sustainable leather with the help of SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), while bioplastics can be created from food composites. These biodegradable conductive bioplastics are made with agar. Agar or agar-agar is a jelly-like material, that comes from algae. It’s commonly used as a vegan alternative to gelatin to make desserts. Agar is also used in science labs for petri dish tests.
Students from Barnhill Memorial school hosted a workshop exhibiting how youth can grow their own bioleather and bioplastics, which are 100 per cent compostable. The bioleather that is grown can be used to make handbags, shoes or anything that could replace animal leather; while the bioplastics could be be used for electronics, containers, cutlery and so on. To learn how to create your own bioleather or bioplasicts visit Learn.BrilliantLabs.ca
My experience at the Saint John School Maker Faire was educational, informative, and fun. I have never been to a Maker Faire in the past, and was pleasantly surprised by my experience. The creativity and drive that these students carry is inspirational and I am looking forward to seeing what they have planned for our future. I would implore future students to participate in the School Maker Faire in some way, shape, or form, to challenge their creative thinking, and expand their horizons.
BY EMMA STEEVES, BRILLIANT LABS CO-OP STUDENT, ST.MALACHY’S HIGH SCHOOL, SAINT JOHN, NB
Photo by Brilliant Labs: Jessica Graham, St. Malachy High School student who designed a magnetic extraction method to remove microplastics from the ocean.
(2021, March 29). Microplastics. Government of Canada. Retrieved June 1, 2022, from www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
(2022, March 15). Plastic waste and pollution reduction. Government of Canada. Retrived Jun 2, 2022, from www.canada.ca/ en/environment-climate-change
Originally published at https://issuu.com.
