San Diego, California – In a rare glimmer of hope amid growing environmental crises, a group of student researchers in San Diego may have found a low-cost, high-impact solution to cleaning polluted ocean water — and they’re doing it with recycled foam.
Led by Dr. Michel Boudrias, an associate professor of Environmental and Ocean Sciences at the University of San Diego, the team is testing out a product that looks deceptively simple: a floating boom made from sustainable materials. But what these booms lack in appearance, they more than make up for in performance. After months spent drifting in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay, they emerge bloated with pollutants — oil, diesel, heavy metals, microplastics, and even invasive marine species.
Partnering with local company Earthwise Sorbents, the USD team has been studying the booms as a tool to not only remove contaminants from water, but to also provide crucial data about the microscopic threats lurking in Southern California’s bays and marinas. Their findings suggest the booms are more than just functional — they could be transformative. They’re inexpensive, made in the U.S., easy to deploy, and capable of absorbing a wide array of pollutants over a lifespan of three to four months…