Participated in my first ever Hackathon at San Jose State University through the SJSU Spart Up for the Conference for Engineering Diversity (CED). The goal was to create a solution to address one of the 17 United Nation Sustainable goals. Our team focused on the issue of safe drinking water. We proposed the use of sugarcane bagasse to create an eco-friendly and biodegradable water filtration system.
Safe drinking water is inaccessible to over 1.1 billion people in the world and that number is expected to increase to 4 billion in 2050. This is due to no sustainable processes, water contamination due to water sewage, storm water, industrial waste, heavy metals (health issues).Â
The porosity of the sugarcane biogasse wafer can be modified using a biocoagulant (a strong base or acid) to achieve specific pore sizes tailored to filter the targeted contaminants.
Our goal is to replace the activated carbon in conventional water filters with a sustainable alternative made from sugarcane bagasse. This new filter will be completely biodegradable and environmentally friendly.
The water purification product market demonstrates significant potential both domestically and globally, driven by increasing demand for clean and safe drinking water. Factors such as growing population, urbanization, rising awareness about waterborne diseases, and stricter environmental regulations are propelling the market's growth. Domestically, consumers are prioritizing health and sustainability, while globally, regions facing water scarcity and poor water quality are adopting innovative purification solutions.