Solar-Powered Algae Air Purifying Posts in El Niño

Summary

Because of the adverse effects caused by El Niño, various regions of

the world are experiencing an increased frequency of natural disasters,

diseases, and drought that negatively affected the economy, agriculture, and

health due to the worsened extreme weather events and climate change.

There is an increasing need for more resilient strategies to address the

detrimental effects caused by El Niño. The proposed solution is the

implementation of Solar-Powered Algae Air Purifying Posts that aims to

utilize Chlorella as an innovative pollution reduction medium to lessen the

effects of global warming by El Niño by producing Oxygen for Urban Areas.

 Introduction

El Niño contributes to extreme weather events and climate change

causing major floods, landslides, and increased frequency of diseases that

affect livestock, agriculture, and health; affecting different regions around

the world (Goddard and Gershunov 2020; The University of Arizona 2016).

According to Sutton et.al (2019), In the Philippines, El Niño has

caused detrimental effects on the economy, poverty, and especially the

agricultural sector. During El Niño, warm waters pool in the eastern Pacific

and radiate heat into the air, leading to hotter weather across much of the

globe. A strong El Niño is now taking shape and, according to NOAA, there

is a 99 percent chance that 2023 will be the hottest year ever recorded.

Chlorella is a well-known oxygen-producing photosynthetic green alga

that is commonly used in photodynamic therapy (PDT) as it has good

photosynthetic activity and the ability to continuously produce oxygen (Cui

et al., 2022)

To address these issues, the researchers have developed a device

of Solar-Powered Algae Air Purifying Posts. The goal of this invention is to

utilize algae.
 Beneficiaries

The research proposal on Solar Powered Algae Air Purifier Post will be

advantageous to the following:

The Community. It raises awareness in the community and its citizens on

the issues dealt with in El nino and air pollution.

The Economy. Crops grown from safely guaranteed farms that use proper

irrigation systems and are quality crops could improve the economy of the

locality with better market revenue.

The Future Researchers. It can give invaluable insights into their future

study. The field of science and engineering, specifically, could potentially

inspire further innovation in the field.

 Solution

Solar-Powered Algae Air Purifying Posts is an innovation that aims to

utilize Chlorella as an innovative pollution reduction device to lessen the

effects of global warming in El Niño thereby producing Oxygen for Urban

Areas.

According to Wang et al. (2021), Chlorella is an eminent

photosynthetic green alga that produces oxygen and is commonly used in

photodynamic therapy (PDT) for its photosynthetic activity and ability to

continuously produce oxygen. A kilogram of Chlorella is equivalent to 20

gallons of water (Green Foods).

The device stands as a 15-foot post, a foot in diameter, with a 7-foot

water tank containing Chlorella and water solution that is lit as a post on a

7-foot pipe that absorbs Carbon Dioxide (CO2), then is topped with a fan

that releases oxygen into the atmosphere. The device is designed to contain

40 gallons of water and 2 kilograms of Chlorella fit for the water tank’s

9,495.36 cubic inches.

However, this device requires further investigation in terms of the area

occupied per post. Overall this device offers a promising solution towards

helping the environment and cities to cope with the effects of air pollution

in El Niño.
 Methodology

This shows the methods, materials as well as the projected cost

needed for this study.

Materials and Cost

Materials Description Quantity Cost

Tempered glass ¾” (Low Iron Clear)) 1 pieces Php 8,888.00

7’ x 3.14’

Microalgae with Chlorella 155 liters Php 3,400.00

water

Fan 12 volts 1 piece Php 1,164.00

Solar panel 60 amperes 1 piece Php 1,365.00

Led lights 12 volts ( 14’ x 1’’) 3 pieces Php 980.00

Air pump 12 volts 1 piece Php 1,842.00

Metal sheet 4’ x 4’ 2 pieces Php 700.00

Total Php 18,339.00

Parts of the device
 References

The University of Arizona (2016). The Global Impacts of El Niño.

https://wrrc.arizona.edu/Impacts-of-El-Nino

Goddard L., Gershunov A., (2020). Impact of El Niño on Weather and

Climate Extremes.

https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/97811195

48164.ch16

Wang H, Guo Y, Wang C, et al. (2021). Light-controlled oxygen production

and collection for sustainable photodynamic therapy in tumor

hypoxia. Biomaterials.

Green Foods. Chlorella Powder. https://greenfoods.com/products/chlorella-

powder#:~:text=The%20serving%20size%20for%20our,cereal%2C

%20salad%20or%20other%20food

Sutton, W., Srivastava, J., Rosegrant, M., Valmonte-Santos, R., Maximillian,

A., (2019). Striking a Balance: Managing El Niño and La Niña in

Philippines’ Agriculture.

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/2902e99

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