Suzuki Clean Ocean It is the project that was started Suzuki and which, as the name suggests, aims to clean the oceans. Of all the particles that contaminate them, microplastics are one of the most harmful.
Microplastics are small particles smaller than five millimeters that are created when plastic components break down. The problem is that this degradation continues until the plastics eventually reach nanometer sizes and are able to pass through cell membranes and affect living things.
But that’s not all: the inhabitants of the seas and oceans themselves also suffer from microplastics when they ingest it, absorb it into their organism and then, as studies show, end up in human food. Even though there is not yet enough knowledge about how they affect our bodies, there is no doubt that we cannot take this situation lightly.
Suzuki and his work on identifying microplastics with Shizuoka University
In view of this problem, within the framework of the above-mentioned project, Suzuki has reached an agreement with Shizuoka University, according to which they will jointly study the identification of microplastics based on the adhesion and color properties of the proteins to the plastic.
In this way, and thanks to the specialization in the study of enzymes and proteins that microorganisms have at Shizuoka University, this experiment can be carried out. Using a protein that has the property of adhering to plastics and coloring them, it will be possible to identify plastics and their typology accurately and quickly.
In the field of collecting microplastics, Suzuki comes into play and these are collected in their outboard engines using the microplastic collection device that some engines are equipped with and thanks to which this project can be carried out.
This study, also supported by Suzuki customers around the world, will help protect the marine environment, as Shuichi Mishima, Executive General Director of Suzuki Marine Operations, explained:
“Through this joint research with Shizuoka University, we aim to use microplastic identification technology to support customers’ interest and efforts in protecting and contributing to the improvement of the marine environment.”
Another consideration, not just for Suzuki but for all of humanity, will be figuring out how to collect and recycle these tiny pollutants. We know that there are some who have managed to convert it into fuel, so it can even end up becoming a lucrative business.
