Thursday, January 17, 2008

Carbon Fiber Technology for use in Aquatic Environmental Protection

I was watching a TV feature on a Japanese professor who is developing an application for interwoven carbon fibers for aquatic environmental protection. I surfed the Internet afterwards and saw an abstract of the scientific investigation and was further intrigued by it.

One application of carbon fiber is for water purification of sewage in urban areas. The video was quite vivid and the result of the experiment was simply amazing. There was rapid and mass fixation of activated sludge on the carbon fibers. Futhermore, it appears that carbon has an effect on the growth of microorganisms and these microorganisms in turn end up devouring the sludge. Tests conducted after the carbon fiber products were placed in polluted water showed that the water became cleaner after a period of time.

One could just imagine what the effect would be if a series of carbon fiber nets were strategically placed at Pasig River in Manila! Our policy formulators should find a way to acquire the technology from the Japanese professor and apply the same to the polluted fresh water lakes in the Philippines.

If properly used, this technology could help stop the continuing degradation of the quality of our fresh water bodies. Human ingenuity to counteract human excesses.

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