The European Patent Office (EPO) announced that Irish environmentalist Fionn Ferreira has won third place in the Young Inventors Prize at the European Inventor Award 2023. Ferreira, a 22 year old chemistry master’s degree student and teaching assistant at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, created a way to remove micro-plastics from water using a unique mixture.
Ferreira said: “Receiving this prestigious award is not just a personal achievement, but a profound acknowledgement of the urgent need to combat the devastating impact of micro-plastics on our planet’s water systems. It also highlights how young inventors like me can make a difference.”
According to the United Nations (UN), there are more than 51 trillion micro-plastic particles in the seas – 500 times more than stars in our galaxy – and this crisis of plastic waste accumulation is a pressing global issue that has deeply affected and inspired Fionn Ferreira.
Ferreira came third in the second edition of the Young Inventors Prize, which the European Patent Office (EPO) established to inspire the next generation of inventors. The prize recognises young innovators aged 30 or under who have developed technological solutions to tackle global problems and help reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ferreira’s invention contributes to UN SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, as it supports the sustainable management of water resources, wastewater and ecosystems.
Ferreira’s method to remove micro-plastics from water is simple yet effective. His invention uses ferrofluid, a magnetic liquid mixture, which binds to micro-plastic particles, separating them from water and allowing for their removal using magnets. The latest prototype, supported by Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition, removes over 85% of micro-plastics in a single pass and can be used safely in drinking water. The process does not require filters and produces zero waste. It retains nearly all the magnetic liquid while removing micro-plastics.
The collected micro-plastics can be outsourced for future recycling possibilities, making the process environmentally friendly. Ferreira is currently working with the University of Texas in scaling his invention to a commercial model. “Together, we can combat environmental challenges no matter what age we are or our technical background,” said Ferreira.