MIT Solve

Step 2

Our Solution

Eutrophication solving

Our solution's stage of development:

Pre-Seed

Our solution:

In order to solve eutrophication in Haizhu National Wetland Park and then spread it to the whole country, as for short term, we will do test on replacing chemical fertilizer with algae biofertilizer; as for long term, we will educate farmers to replace chemical fertilizer and advertise to improve awareness.

Our pitch:

This plan helps to solve the eutrophication situation, started from a specific area to even a country by salvaging algae to make algae biofertilizer and advertise to improve people's awareness.

This plan has high rationalities:

1. Really severe the problem is

2. A lot of benefits of using algae biofertilizer to replace chemical fertilizer.

Much cheaper to use algae biofertilizer for it is made from nature and has easy methods to make.

Improve the crops' output remarkably for algae biofertilizer contains more nutrients than chemical fertilizer .

Help to solve eutrophication for eutrophication mostly causes by the left of chemical fertilizer.

3. Highly influence the advertise will be.

First, we will collect the data of the eutrophication situation in Haizhu National Land Park and then make a platform according to the data on the internet for people to check.

Second, we will make models which we will use on campaigns. The first kind of model is cups of polluted water that seem like cups of tea to show people how dirty and dangerous the water is. The second kind of model is a cubic meter aquarium, which shows the situation of a cubic meter section of the ecosystem in eutrophic water.

Third, we will launch campaigns, on which we will advertise the benefits of using algae biofertilizer, the drawbacks of using chemical fertilizer and show our models there.

We will also send samples to farmers in the studying place, Guangzhou, at the beginning of the project.

If scaled, we will solve the eutrophication situation, at least improve the water quality and improve people's awareness.

The problem:

Eutrophicationmeans a process by which a water body becomes enriched in dissolved nutrients that stimulate the growth of aquatic plant life, usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen.The eutrophication causes the cyanobacteria to multiple too much, leading to the decrease of water transparency.

Although the eutrophication is serious, there is little information about the data of that and the information to be lacking.

Why our solution will solve the problem:

1. Using algae biofertilizer:

We found that according to “Cyanobacteria Biofertilzer in Rice Agriculture”, there are some countries such as Japan and China that started to investigate the rice field and show that there is a dominant presence of cyanobacteria and there are already some instances of making algae.

(http://www.hqew.com/tech/news/...; 贺鸿志，李拥军，黎华寿 , 抗除草剂固氮蓝藻研究进展(Advances in research on herbicide tolerant nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria), VoL.38, 2011, 60~62)

Who recommended you to Solve - or - how did you find Solve?

My mentor

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The technologies we employ:

Agricultural technology

Why our solution is unique:

The technology we will use is making algae fertilizer which we have already had some reference.

Government in that place had taken three methods to solve the eutrophication but replacing chemical fertilizer with biofertilizer. Using biofertilizer actually combines two ways, salvage algae and solve at posed part, to improve water quality for we will both use the algae we salvaged from river and cultivated algae to make biofertilzier and most of eutrophication dues to the left of chemical fertilizer.

Why our solution is human-centered:

Using algae biofertilizer can helps to solve the eutrophication situation in Haizhu National Wetland Park in Guangzhou, China. Then we will spread this method to the whole country.

Eutrophication will lead to

(1) Large amount of aquatic animals(especially fish) died.

(2) Producing hazardous gas.

(3) People who drink for a long time can be poisoned.

Solving eutrophication can provide citizen and farmers with more clean water, less chemicals-contained food and less possibility to be poisoned. It as well helps to guarantee the biodiversity of the water being.

How people will access our solution:

Haizhu National Wetland Park is close to the urban area and suburban district, which means its heavy eutrophication can effect both citizens and farmers easily. And government had taken several methods to solve eutrophication. Our plan is suitable for what they want.

According to some reference, the algae biofertilizer will best when used at rice crops. And in Haizhu community, the main crop is rice.

Algae biofertilizer is cheap to use and will improve output of crops. So farmers will be content to use biofertilizer and we will send samples to farmers for free at the beginning of the project.

Technology-Readiness Level:

4-5 (Prototyping)

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