The threat of microplastics in our seas is now under everyone’s eyes. These particles, often invisible to the naked eye, permeate every environmental matrices: water, sediments, even the marine organisms that end up on our tables. Now, however, from the heart of all Italian research, a concrete and innovative response comes: it is called Aqualis and promises to change the fight against marine pollution.
What is Aqualis?
Conceived by Alessandro Barbieroyoung entrepreneur and administrator of Aquageo, Aqualis is an innovative device for the active collection of plastics, microplastics (up to 2 mm), oils and hydrocarbons from the surface waters of seas, ports, lakes and rivers, the result of the collaboration with the Department of Sciences of the “Gabriele D’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara
The project involves a multidisciplinary team coordinated by prof. Gianluigi Rosatelli (geochimic and applied environmental geochimic), with the participation of experts in organic chemistry, microbiology and the “terra-mare” university center.
How it works: the technology behind the “Spazzino del Mare”
Aqualis’ heart is a Filter modular basket that operates on the surface layer of the water. A Polyurethane foam slab capture plastics and fiber up to 2 mm, while one Foamflex® sponge, made with an ecological polymer, absorbs oils and hydrocarbons up to 4 kg for use and can be reusable up to 200 times.
The pump generates a directional flow Delicate but effective: powerful enough to capture waste and microplastic, but too weak to drag fish or plankton, which pass through the system without damage. Because as Alessandro Barbiero, founder of Aquageo and creator of Aqualis explains:
We want to catch waste, not the marine life
Each device can treat up to 35 m³ of water per hour, collecting up to 500 kg of waste e 800 kg of hydrocarbons per year, with an energy cost contained about 1.5 euros per day.
A dream born in pizzeria
Behind Aqualis there is also a personal story:
Everything stems from my passion for the sea – Tell Barbiero -. The real spark was struck in December 2023, in a pizzeria with my father: we threw down a plan and decided to really believe it.
Shortly thereafter, Barbiero leaves its permanent place to patent a system capable of really protecting aquatic ecosystems.
A scientific and technological response
Aqualis does not just collect waste: innovation also consists of the chemical-physical analysis of the recovered materials, the characterization of the microbiota that develops on them and the search for innovative recycling systems. The device aims, therefore, not only to “clean up”, but also to contribute to a circular management of the collected waste, returning knowledge and further solutions.
Prof. Gianluigi Rosatelli, scientific coordinator of the University of Chieti, underlines:
The pollution from microplastics is contaminating all environmental matrices, and their entry into the food chain represents a danger also for human health. To deal with this challenge, integrated approaches and collaboration networks between universities and companies are needed. This is exactly what we did with Aqualis: a concrete solution that arises from the encounter between scientific excellence and entrepreneurial ability.
In addition to the intervention on the field, in fact, Aqualis will be at the center of educational and popular interventions, contributing to sensitizing citizens, students and institutions on the importance of the protection of the seas. This integrated vision is supported by scientific partnerships that allow you to map and classify the waste collected, transforming Aqualis into a tool also useful for the environmental research and pollution monitoring.
Simple installation, concrete impact
The device, from compact design, it is easily installed on Fixed or floating bridges in ports and darse. It is active 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it works silently and resists adverse weather conditions. Maintenance is quick: the basket is easily extracted, without the need for specialized personnel.
Each aqualis purchased also finances with 200 euros environmental projects selected by Zeroco2 and other partner organizations, thus amplifying the positive impact on the territory.
Why is it important?
Once dispersed microplastics, they accumulate in marine organisms and through the food chain they reach us. Intervening today benefits from the whole ecosystem and – ultimately – to our own health. Projects like Aqualis represent the main road: innovation, research, collaboration and a concrete commitment to restore the sea its dignity of vital and clean resource for everyone
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