Solar-Powered Waste Bin Using Rice Husk and Fish Net Catch Bag: A New Marine-Cleaning Technology

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

One of the major challenges worldwide is waste management. It presents risks to the environment and public health (Garfi, 2012). The problem in garbage introduced Seabin technology. Its purpose is to build a floating waste bin that could sip water along with the garbage and could filter some of the oil present. This study pursues to produce a marine-cleaning technology innovation with solar panels as its energy source and that could filter microparticle wastes from the bodies of water with the use of a net that is less expensive than the one used in the Seabin Project.

METHODS

The solar panel system consists of two 200-watt panel board, charge controller, and 220-volt battery gathered from Manila and Cavite. A 1Hp submersible water pump and types of catch bags were used: fish net and rice husk. The device testing was done in the river of Bancaan, Naic, Cavite. Discharge water of three samples: raw water, water from fish net catch bag, and water from rice husk catch bag, was tested according to water analysis protocol C: Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Settleable Solids, and Turbidity, then tested in Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Two-way ANOVA was used to determine the significant difference between raw water and two catch bags.

RESULTS

Total of 20 wastes were collected: 6 plastic bags, 4 organic food, 5 junk food sachet, 3 plastic bottles, 2 paper bags, and a cigarette butt. The DOST water analysis results showed that the third sample-water from rice husk catch bag has the least TSS of 6mg/L, and highest Settleable Solids of 0.1mg/L, that means, least micro plastics are found in the third sample. However, the third sample has the highest turbidity measurement of 11mg/L or gravel, sand, silt, or clay are the most numerous compared to the other two samples that are because of rice husk residues. The two-way ANOVA result between raw water and water from rice husk catch bag rejected the null hypothesis since the F value (columns)=2.99 is less than F critical= 19, which means that there is a significant difference between raw water and water from rice husk catch bag.

DISCUSSIONS

The waste bin was successfully modified to the solar panel system and was able to sip wastes in it. Water from rice husk catch bag was most turbid among three water samples, but it can manage to remove the microplastics that combines to table salt production. Thus, it is recommended to use different catching technique or micro-sized filter nets that will not affect the turbidity level of water.