Ideaz

Problem Statement:

We are facing a silent threat in our daily lives - microplastic pollution. These tiny, more often invisible plastic particles are now dangerous. These are found in the air we breathe, the water we drink and even in our bodies. These breakdown from larger plastics, synthetic textiles and industrial processes. We lack easy, real-time ways to detect their levels in our immediate environment. This invisible contamination poses unknown but increase health risks and actionable detection.

Gaps in Current Solution:

• Existing detection methods are locked in laboratories, requiring expensive equipment and significant time.
• Detection is so difficult, most people are completely unaware of their personal exposure levels in their homes or environment.
• There is no widespread, real-time network of data to build a image of microplastic presence across diverse communities. This prevents proactive measures to reduce exposure.

Solution:

My idea is “MicroSense”, a mobile app that turns your smartphone into a personal microplastic detector. This app’s innovation lies in its ability from existing smartphone technology to detection’s gap. The core function is an advanced AI model trained to identify and count microplastic particles. The app would provide a clear, color-coded dashboard showing detected microplastic levels for water, air. Users would have the option to share their readings. This would build a community-drive map for microplastic hotstops and public awareness. It has a library of information about microplastics with their sources and tips on reducing one’s footprint.

Beneficiaries:

• People gain the power to understand their power to understand their personal exposure towards microplastics.
• This helps community generated data map offers an real-time network of information and enabling a broader understanding of microplastic distribution.

Why this matters to me:

This problem represent a threat is largely invisible and pervasive. It’s unsetting to think that our daily rotines might be exposing us to something harmful that we can’t see. Developing MicroSense is about shining a light on invisible pollution and empowering people with information for their global movements towards cleaner, healthier future and free from plastics.