Ireland teen wins Earth Prize for biodegradable plastic that targets microplastics

Ireland teen wins Earth Prize for biodegradable plastic that targets microplastics

Scientists keep finding microplastics in more and more places, including soil, waterways, and even the air. In that context, a teenager in Ireland has created a material meant to biodegrade while also aiding the breakdown of plastic pollution already in the environment. According to Discover Magazine, Arya Satheesh, an 18-year-old from Letterkenny, Ireland, was recently named the European winner of the Earth Prize for Eco Purge, a plant-based pl…

This High Schooler Invented a Plant-Based Plastic That Removes Microplastics From the Environment as It Biodegrades

Ramsha Waseem in Smithsonian: Arya Satheesh, an 18-year-old student from Letterkenny in County Donegal, Ireland, has spent the past couple of years studying microplastics. The spread of these plastic fragments measuring less than five millimeters (1/5 inch) in size is a growing concern worldwide, as they infiltrate the environment as well as humans and animals. The young scientist researched plastic pollution and the challenges of detecting micr…