Lead institution:
Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo – Brazil
This Research Project proposes the development of sensors based on recycled plastic optical fibers for monitoring microplastics and water quality.
The first stage consists of collecting discarded plastics for two purposes: to manufacture filaments for 3D printers and to manufacture polymeric optical fibers (using plastics with enhanced optical properties, especially transparency). The sensor structure will be manufactured from additive manufacturing (3D printing) with recycled filaments, while recycled polymeric optical fibers will be used as sensors to measure microplastic concentration and water quality. The sensors will be placed in ponds and in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) to monitor ammonia, pH, nitrites, dissolved CO2, and temperature, key parameters in determining water quality. Finally, the data generated by the sensors will be integrated into a microplastic concentration data analysis system to determine their correlation with other water quality parameters.
Start date: 01/01/2023
End date: 01/01/2025
Lead Contact: Arnaldo Leal Junior (leal-junior.arnaldo@ieee.org)