BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological co...
Public Lab is an open community which collaboratively develops accessible, open source, Do-It-Yourself technologies for investigating local environmental health and justice issues.
28 CURRENT | a1ahna |
November 06, 2020 21:31
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. This tool is comprised of a floatation device attached to a set of childrens tights - hence the name BabyLegs. To collect a sample, first you dip your BabyLegs into a waterway, then drag the device along the water’s surface. The fine-knit mesh of the tights traps microscopic bits of biological materials as well as nurdles and other plastics found within the water. These samples can be processed, identified, counted, and analyzed in order to examine what’s in your waterway. MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
27 | a1ahna |
November 06, 2020 21:29
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
26 | a1ahna |
November 06, 2020 21:28
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
25 | a1ahna |
November 06, 2020 21:24
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
24 | mimiss |
October 16, 2020 14:34
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
23 | mimiss |
September 30, 2020 17:40
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
22 | mimiss |
September 30, 2020 17:34
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
21 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 17:29
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
20 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 17:27
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
19 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 17:26
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
18 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 17:18
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
17 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 17:11
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. [notes:grid:babylegs-build] MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
16 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 17:05
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
15 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 16:56
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
Revert | |
14 | a1ahna |
September 30, 2020 16:56
| about 4 years ago
BabyLegs is an aquatic trawl (net system) for monitoring microplastic pollution and biological composition of surface water. (INSERT BUY AND BUILD WIDGET) MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Click here for more questions about BabyLegs. This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. |
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13 | warren |
July 16, 2019 16:37
| over 5 years ago
BabyLegs is a research trawl (net system) for monitoring plastic pollution, especially microplastics, in surface water. MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) Design goalsCreated with baby’s tights, soda pop bottles, and other inexpensive and easy to find materials that cost ~$20, Babylegs can be used to trawl for floating microplastics from the surface of the water. She can be used with a boat (motorized going as fast as 5 knots in calm water, or human-propelled such as a canoe or paddle board), or by being tied off on a bridge or pier for passive sampling. BabyLegs mimics the type of samples collected by the more expensive ($3500) Manta Trawl: floating microplastics between 5mm-1mm in size. Originally designed by Max Liboiron at the activist science laboratory CLEAR for sampling in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, BabyLegs is specifically built with items that are easy to come by in northern, rural communities. But the design supports hacks, replacements, and innovations that suit local needs. Community and NGO groups have had success using BabyLegs to gather samples. The main expertise bottleneck is not in building or using BabyLegs, but in interpreting the samples. Microplastics are very hard to visually identify, since many things like rocks, bones, and organics look like plastics, and tiny plastics can be hard to see at all. The activity guides below are divided into sections on building the BabyLegs trawl, deploying BabyLegs in the water, processing the sample in a kitchen, school, or laboratory whereby the plastics are sorted from the organics, and finally forensically analyzing the microplastics so you can learn about the pollution in your waters. The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Other questions are answered in the guides below. Questions[questions:babylegs] This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] |
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12 | warren |
May 16, 2019 19:55
| over 5 years ago
BabyLegs is a research trawl (net system) for monitoring plastic pollution, especially microplastics, in surface water. MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) Design goalsCreated with baby’s tights, soda pop bottles, and other inexpensive and easy to find materials that cost ~$20, Babylegs can be used to trawl for floating microplastics from the surface of the water. She can be used with a boat (motorized going as fast as 5 knots in calm water, or human-propelled such as a canoe or paddle board), or by being tied off on a bridge or pier for passive sampling. BabyLegs mimics the type of samples collected by the more expensive ($3500) Manta Trawl: floating microplastics between 5mm-1mm in size. Originally designed by Max Liboiron at the activist science laboratory CLEAR for sampling in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, BabyLegs is specifically built with items that are easy to come by in northern, rural communities. But the design supports hacks, replacements, and innovations that suit local needs. Community and NGO groups have had success using BabyLegs to gather samples. The main expertise bottleneck is not in building or using BabyLegs, but in interpreting the samples. Microplastics are very hard to visually identify, since many things like rocks, bones, and organics look like plastics, and tiny plastics can be hard to see at all. The activity guides below are divided into sections on building the BabyLegs trawl, deploying BabyLegs in the water, processing the sample in a kitchen, school, or laboratory whereby the plastics are sorted from the organics, and finally forensically analyzing the microplastics so you can learn about the pollution in your waters. The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Other questions are answered in the guides below. Questions[questions:babylegs] This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. Activities[notes:grid:activity:babylegs] |
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11 | warren |
October 30, 2018 18:32
| about 6 years ago
BabyLegs is a research trawl (net system) for monitoring plastic pollution, especially microplastics, in surface water. MicroplasticsOf the 5.25 trillion pieces of marine plastics in the world’s oceans, 92% are microplastics less that 5mm in size (Eirksen et al 2014), allowing them to be easily ingested by marine life as small as plankton (Cole et al 2013). Scientists are concerned that because plastics absorb up to a million times more chemicals than surrounding waters (Mato et al 2001), widespread ingestion means that toxicants that accumulate in animals can magnify up food webs, causing a potential threat to human health (Rochman et al 2013, Teuten et al 2009). This makes microplastics an environmental justice issue as people who eat marine mammals or who depend upon fish for sustenance are more likely to carry high toxic burdens. (text from civiclaboratory.nl) Design goalsCreated with baby’s tights, soda pop bottles, and other inexpensive and easy to find materials that cost ~$20, Babylegs can be used to trawl for floating microplastics from the surface of the water. She can be used with a boat (motorized going as fast as 5 knots in calm water, or human-propelled such as a canoe or paddle board), or by being tied off on a bridge or pier for passive sampling. BabyLegs mimics the type of samples collected by the more expensive ($3500) Manta Trawl: floating microplastics between 5mm-1mm in size. Originally designed by Max Liboiron at the activist science laboratory CLEAR for sampling in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, BabyLegs is specifically built with items that are easy to come by in northern, rural communities. But the design supports hacks, replacements, and innovations that suit local needs. Community and NGO groups have had success using BabyLegs to gather samples. The main expertise bottleneck is not in building or using BabyLegs, but in interpreting the samples. Microplastics are very hard to visually identify, since many things like rocks, bones, and organics look like plastics, and tiny plastics can be hard to see at all. The activity guides below are divided into sections on building the BabyLegs trawl, deploying BabyLegs in the water, processing the sample in a kitchen, school, or laboratory whereby the plastics are sorted from the organics, and finally forensically analyzing the microplastics so you can learn about the pollution in your waters. The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Other questions are answered in the guides below. Questions[questions:babylegs] This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. Activities[activities:babylegs] |
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10 | warren |
October 29, 2018 16:59
| about 6 years ago
BabyLegs is a research trawl (net system) for monitoring plastic pollution, especially microplastics, in surface water. Design goalsCreated with baby’s tights, soda pop bottles, and other inexpensive and easy to find materials that cost ~$20, Babylegs can be used to trawl for floating microplastics from the surface of the water. She can be used with a boat (motorized going as fast as 5 knots in calm water, or human-propelled such as a canoe or paddle board), or by being tied off on a bridge or pier for passive sampling. BabyLegs mimics the type of samples collected by the more expensive ($3500) Manta Trawl: floating microplastics between 5mm-1mm in size. Originally designed by Max Liboiron at the activist science laboratory CLEAR for sampling in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, BabyLegs is specifically built with items that are easy to come by in northern, rural communities. But the design supports hacks, replacements, and innovations that suit local needs. Community and NGO groups have had success using BabyLegs to gather samples. The main expertise bottleneck is not in building or using BabyLegs, but in interpreting the samples. Microplastics are very hard to visually identify, since many things like rocks, bones, and organics look like plastics, and tiny plastics can be hard to see at all. The activity guides below are divided into sections on building the BabyLegs trawl, deploying BabyLegs in the water, processing the sample in a kitchen, school, or laboratory whereby the plastics are sorted from the organics, and finally forensically analyzing the microplastics so you can learn about the pollution in your waters. The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? Other questions are answered in the guides below. Questions[questions:babylegs] This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. Activities[activities:babylegs] |
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9 | maxliboiron |
July 20, 2018 18:20
| over 6 years ago
BabyLegs is a research trawl (net system) for monitoring plastic pollution, especially microplastics, in surface water. Design goalsCreated with baby’s tights, soda pop bottles, and other inexpensive and easy to find materials that cost ~$20, Babylegs can be used to trawl for floating microplastics from the surface of the water. She can be used with a boat (motorized going as fast as 5 knots in calm water, or human-propelled such as a canoe or paddle board), or by being tied off on a bridge or pier for passive sampling. BabyLegs mimics the type of samples collected by the more expensive ($3500) Manta Trawl: floating microplastics between 5mm-1mm in size. Originally designed by Max Liboiron at the activist science laboratory CLEAR for sampling in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, BabyLegs is specifically built with items that are easy to come by in northern, rural communities. But the design supports hacks, replacements, and innovations that suit local needs. Community and NGO groups have had success using BabyLegs to gather samples. The main expertise bottleneck is not in building or using BabyLegs, but in interpreting the samples. Microplastics are very hard to visually identify, since many things like rocks, bones, and organics look like plastics, and tiny plastics can be hard to see at all. The activity guides below are divided into sections on building the BabyLegs trawl, deploying BabyLegs in the water, processing the sample in a kitchen, school, or laboratory whereby the plastics are sorted from the organics, and finally forensically analyzing the microplastics so you can learn about the pollution in your waters. The image above shows some of the microplastics BabyLegs captured in the Hudson River, New York City. QuestionsQ: Can I change materials on the trawl, or change the design? A: Of course! The only thing you have to make sure of is that the mouth of the trawl is always half in the water and half out. It cannot dive or skip over the water. Also beware of any materials that might put more plastic into the ocean or into the sample (plastic 3D printing, fleece, and plastic thread are particularly bad for this). Also, the design outlined here has been tested in a variety of waters. New designs might not behave as well in choppy water, at higher speeds, or in wind. Q: What sort of data does a sample from BabyLegs yield?
You will not know:
Q: Has BabyLegs been validated? This image shows BabyLegs in action. You can see that part of the trawl is underwater and some is above water, allowing the trawl to capture things floating on the surface. Activities[activities:babylegs] |
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