Last Updated on August 9, 2024
When it comes to sweeping international environmental and public health concerns, it can be difficult to take these concerns to heart. It’s hard to imagine a tangible example of these kinds of concerns.
That gap between knowledge of a problem and an understanding of its real-world effects is a detriment to individual and organizational activism efforts.
In other words, knowing what we’re up against is step one to changing things for the better, and in the case of microplastic pollution, it’s especially challenging to illustrate just how serious the problem is.
Scientists don’t currently have a comprehensive understanding of how microplastics affect humans who consume them, and that’s a real problem since microplastics are present in water systems throughout the world, including water systems here in the United States.
These incredibly small plastic particles are derived from all kinds of plastic products, and because they’re so small, they can escape from common water treatment and filtration methods.
PolyGone Systems, Inc. has become an early leader in the microplastic filtering space, and they recently collaborated on an evocative art installation that was displayed as part of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of urbanism/Architecture, and we talked with PolyGone Co-Founder and COO all about it.
Yidian Liu and her fellow founder Nathaniel Banks quickly went from being students with a bright idea to figures at the forefront of microplastic filtering technology.
With a shared expertise of architecture and design, Liu and Banks created PolyGone Systems specifically to address the problem of developing practical microplastic filtering methods.
To make a long story short, this company has created and iterated on a specially-designed filter that is able to trap microplastics within flowing water, and they have been conducting field tests of this filter in tandem with water treatment organizations.
The art installation we’re here to cover is ultimately about supporting public education regarding a serious matter that many people are still unaware of.
The installation
First, let’s set the stage. The Hong Kong and Shenzhen Biennale showcases the work of designers who have applied themselves to contemporary and future designs meant to resolve urban and city-planning issues.
The event brings in hundreds of thousands of people, so for a company like PolyGone Systems, the event is a massive opportunity to educate people about just how widespread microplastic pollution is.
More specifically, PolyGone was involved in a portion of the event that emphasized interdisciplinary collaboration, giving the team a chance to use visual art to tackle this very large problem.
To make this project a reality, Liu and Banks decided to partner with research associate and fellow Princeton alum Xi Chen, who in fact helped to design the original PolyGone filter prototype.
With more than enough knowledge and dedication, the question became how to make it all happen. How do you communicate the seriousness of this problem through art? Liu describes the rationale.
“Our installation tackled the urban issue of microplastic pollution in the water by making the problem more visible to the public. Our proposal resembles a hanging chandelier with contaminated filter media, a series of concentric curtains, and a heavy base. The installation uses architecture as a learning tool to delineate the disparity between the minute scale of plastic pollutants and the large areas of contamination while showcasing the different methods of aquatic plastic filtration and recycling.”
PolyGone used precisely 888 previously used filters to create this chandelier, and because the filters had captured microplastics, they showed this contamination when exposed to UV light.
To the naked eye, now with this installation, the microplastics would resemble stars shining in the dark sky at night. We designed an enclosed dark space that emphasized this effect, which allowed the audience to observe the typically invisible microplastic particles.”
In this way, the installation literally increased the visibility of the microplastic problem– a brilliant tactic for communicating a dire need for change.
But putting this all together was no small task. It required time and extensive collaboration.
Assembly and collaboration
“Although our team came out with the concept design, finding local collaborators to assist the execution of the project was a real challenge.”
For example, the project required custom-built frames that could support these hundreds of filters, and because Liu and Banks were in the U.S. while this construction work was happening, they needed to call in some reinforcements.
“Luckily, we were able to connect with an interior design office called Intact Studio, who are architects experienced in executing projects and have a vast network of local collaborators.”
The team also enlisted the help of Shenzhen University students who aided in the complex process of actually assembling and hanging the entire system.
All this hard work brought about an effective, creative, and wholly unique approach to increasing awareness of microplastic pollution.
Local + International
Microplastic pollution is clearly an international issue, affecting not just freshwater sources but also the world’s oceans.
And yet there was a clear connection between this display and the city of Shenzhen specifically, adding a local component to the display.
Shenzhen, situated in a bay area where numerous waterways converge before entering the ocean, has witnessed substantial investments aimed at rejuvenating its waterfront and restoring the health of its water bodies. This makes Shenzhen an ideal location to raise awareness about the criticality of addressing plastic pollution and to educate individuals about the significance of remediation efforts.”
So, while this art piece was specifically relevant to the immediate location of the event, it also appealed to the universal nature of this problem.
At the local level, governments, organizations, and individuals need to take steps to keep their nearby water sources clean, and at the international level, these smaller, localized efforts need to collaborate and share findings and ideas, just as the creation of the PolyGone art installation was the result of extensive collaboration, all in pursuit of a singular goal.
Furthering public education
We would like to close out this article by discussing public education regarding microplastic pollution.
First, can art be used to effectively raise awareness of the issue? Yes, it can, and the Shenzhen Biennale is proof of that. In fact, PolyGone has plans to stage another educational installation in Atlantic City, where the installation will accompany a pilot program of their microplastic filters.
“The strategy here is to showcase Polygone’s microplastic filtration system, known as the Artificial Root, alongside the ACUA’s existing water treatment operations. This pilot deployment aims to complement the ACUA’s current facility and effectively capture aquatic pollutants and microplastic debris within the wastewater that flows through ACUA’s main pipeline.”
This is a completely different installation custom-tailored to the location. But we also don’t want to imply that these types of installations are the be-all and end-all of public education.
Regarding PolyGone’s other public education efforts, the company has found public speaking engagements to be highly useful.
Liu and Banks have spoken at Princeton University and at the Delaware Water Congress, and they have also hosted panel discussions on the topic.
Importantly, PolyGone, and Liu in particular, truly believe that public education efforts should try to inspire others to get involved in solving the issue. It’s not about presenting one specific type of solution and leaving it at that.
While microplastic pollution remedies are currently being developed, tested, and deployed in the real world by PolyGone and other leading groups, this is a truly enormous problem that will likely take many years to resolve.
Many other aspects of environmental health and public safety are well-known and have been for years, but the discovery and understanding of the presence and problems of microplastic pollution are still relatively new, and as we’ve discussed throughout the article, there is still a general lack of understanding, both among scientists and the general public.
This needs to be a cross-generational effort, and Liu emphasized the need to motivate younger people in particular to take up the reins and continue working toward a cleaner and safer world.
“We aim to inspire the next generation to carry forward our efforts in remedying this issue. Rather than seeing ourselves as the ultimate solution providers, we view ourselves as pioneers who initiate change and inspire future generations.”
Our hope is that all varieties of public education efforts regarding microplastic pollution will prove to be effective for a variety of communities and audiences.
There are different means of addressing and connecting with different communities, and especially for microplastic cleaning organizations like PolyGone and a range of government agencies, it is essential that they succeed in inspiring change.
