FIU Students Working to Build Smart Cities

Computer Science students at Florida International University (FIU) are working with SOP Technologies to help develop a "Smart Stormwater" system. (article link)

FIU Seniors worked on building a web app to help cities track and analyze data captured by wireless sensors. SOP Technologies' Smart Stormwater system is an Internet of Things (IoT) solution that uses sensors and web interfaces to prevent water pollution, prevent floods due to clogged stormwater pipes, and help communities save money in stormwater pollution maintenance/removal. 

“This was a fun and challenging process to develop for SOP Technologies’ Smart Stormwater system. I would like to thank my professor, Masoud Sadjadi, for guidance throughout the project.”

— Canh Vien, Senior at FIU (Computer Science)

“Collaborating with FIU helps us advance Research & Development efforts, while tapping into the highly skilled Engineering talent in Miami-Dade County. ”

— Emilio Lopez, SOP Technologies CEO

The Smart Stormwater project, along with the work of several FIU students, will be presented during the FIU VIP & FIUCIS Senior Project Showcase Night on 12/1/17. The event is open to the public and is a great opportunity to meet the next generation of Engineers in the Miami area. 

Evening of December 1, 2017, from 6-9 PM

LOCATION AND PARKING:
Event Location: PG6 116, FIU Main Campus (also known as MMC or Modesto A. Maidique Campus)
Event Parking:  Click here to register your car: https://goo.gl/ePdnBu
Event Map:  Click here to see the FIU map: https://goo.gl/oSNTFT

The FIU VIP & FIUSCIS Senior Project Showcase Night celebrates FIU students' innovative solutions to challenging problems posed by research faculty and their industrial partners. You will see proof-of-concept system demos and interact with talented students who are about to graduate. Discover great talent and learn how our students are solving difficult problems. This interactive event provides opportunities to learn about new system development techniques and to network with FIU faculty, staff, and students along with local industry executives, engineers and recruiters. 

New ways to upcycle plastics, dead sea turtles, and less pollution in some places

Collaborative efforts around the world continue to gain strength to help communities address water pollution. This week, we highlight new efforts to address plastic pollution and research showing the impact of plastics on marine life. Here are some recent stories: 

Can upcycling really help the oceans? - GreenBiz

Source: Greenbiz.com

"As recycling rates drop and ocean pollution worsens, many innovators are taking marine debris, a notoriously unrecyclable material, and turning it into useful items. They’re turning all types of marine plastic trash, from old fishing gear to bits of broken-down hard plastic called microplastic, into new products. [...] Products currently made from recycled ocean plastic include shampoo bottles, skateboards, sunglasses, athletic shoes, sportswear, doormats, jewelry and board shorts. Some companies involved in ocean plastic "upcycling" are reporting encouraging numbers in keeping marine debris out of landfills and the ocean." Read the full story at Greenbiz.com

Coalition calls for oxo-degradable plastic ban - Edie.net

Source: Edie.net

"A coalition of businesses, NGOs, scientists and politicians have come together to call for a ban on oxo-degradable plastic packaging, which has been linked to microplastics pollution. [...] 

Oxo-degradable plastics are produced in many countries across the world, including the UK, and is broadly used in packaging and plastic carrier bags. These materials are often touted as a solution to plastic pollution, with some claiming that it biodegrades into harmless residues.

But researchers have disputed this assertion, with a mounting body of evidence showing that oxo-degradable plastics fragment into tiny pieces, including microplastics. This poses an environmental risk, evidence suggests, particularly in the ocean. On top of this, it is believed that these plastics are not suited for effective long-term, recycling at scale or composting." Read the full story at Edie.net 

Harbour cleanup efforts pay off - The Chronicle Journal

Source: The Chronicle Journal

"Thunder Bay’s long polluted harbour may not be so polluted any longer, according to the agency overseeing efforts to clean it up.

The Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan (RAP) said Thursday that plankton levels have improved to the point where that particular problem should be removed from a list of specific concerns about the harbour’s water.

Plankton are microscopic organisms in the water column that fish feed on, and healthy levels generally indicate the water is in good shape.

If the harbour’s plankton is deemed to be no longer “impaired” and removed as an issue by Canadian and U.S. authorities, it could help efforts to have the city’s harbour to become de-listed as one of the Great Lakes areas of concern." Read the full story at The Chronicle Journal

Thousands of Dead Sea Turtles — SOS - Huffington Post

Source: The Huffington Post

"Sea turtles have swum the seas for a couple hundred million years. Today all seven species are in dire shape, especially in Australia and El Salvador.

There are four man-made culprits that are quickly driving these glorious masterpieces – the last vestige of the dinosaurs – off the planet: Fisheries, petroleum-based plastics, the climate crisis, and persistent organic pollutants.

Fisheries are annihilating everything in the seas. Thirteen million miles of longlines, or enough line to encircle the equator 522 times, with almost 2 billion legal and illegal hooks. In 2000 alone, according to Duke University workers, longlines murdered 200,000 loggerheads and 50,000 leatherback turtles." Read the full story at The Huffington Post

Coral thinks plastic is delicious - Treehugger.com

Source: Treehugger

"For years, scientists thought that marine animals eat plastic by accident. There is so much of it in the water and it's hard to differentiate it from real food, so it ends up getting eaten. But now research is showing that marine animals actually like the taste of plastic, adding a worrisome element to the pollution problem.

Some research has been done on fish, but now a recent study out of Duke University and published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin looks at coral's surprising preference for raw plastic. Scientists fed plastic micro-fragments and sand to coral polyps in a laboratory. They did this by dropping the piece near the coral and watching its reaction." Read the full story at Treehugger.com

SOP Technologies on a mission to Stop Ocean Pollution

SOP Technologies brings new solutions to address issues relating to floods, pollution and high costs of stormwater maintenance. Learn more at https://soptechint.com/ 

From the US to India, new research and solutions for ocean pollution - 2017-10-25

As cities struggle to address the pollution, flooding and high costs related to stormwater pollution, new science and technologies continue to provide answers to a variety of challenges.

SOP Technologies is on a mission to Stop Ocean Pollution with our environmental technologies, and here are some recent stories about pollution issues and solutions from around the world:

Source: Seattle Times

Stormwater pollution in Puget Sound streams killing coho before they can spawn -Seattle Times

"The sweet seep of autumn rain is bringing coho salmon back home to their natal streams all over the Puget Sound basin — where too often they encounter a bitter truth: pollution in a shocking 40 percent of their home range so bad it can inflict a swift death.

The culprit is stormwater, and it is causing death rates so high, some populations of wild coho are at risk of local extinction, researchers found." Full story: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/stormwater-pollution-in-puget-sound-streams-killing-coho-before-they-can-spawn/

Source: CBS News

Once-pristine Arctic choking on our plastic addiction - CBS News

Researchers find, collect and remove pollution from Norway's Lofoten Islands. Read the full article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/microplastics-arctic-circle-ocean-pollution-plastic-waste-around-the-world/ 

Source: The Guardian

Ocean acidification is deadly threat to marine life, finds eight-year study -The Guardian

"Plastic pollution, overfishing, global warming and increased acidification from burning fossil fuels means oceans are increasingly hostile to marine life" Full article: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/23/ocean-acidification-deadly-threat-to-marine-life-finds-eight-year-study

Source: Fox 46

Third Ward parking lot floods after storm drain backs up -Fox 46

In Charlotte, NC, dirt and debris clogged the storm drains, leading to costly flooding. "Overwhelming the city storm water system, dirt and debris still scatters the parking lot at Cedar Hill. Employees hope that the flood was an isolated incident." Full story: http://www.fox46charlotte.com/news/local-news/third-ward-parking-lot-floods-after-storm-drain-backs-up

Source: Times of India

96 flood-prone areas identified; time for BBMP to fix the mess -Times of India

Bengaluru India is aiming to fix stormwater infrastructure in order to prevent floods. "Following the recent flooding and fatalities caused by incessant rain in the city, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has identified 96 localities that are prone to inundation during monsoon and intends to fix their problems before the next season." Full story: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/96-flood-prone-areas-identified-time-for-bbmp-to-fix-the-mess/articleshow/61213616.cms

Source: Sky News

Bottle made from 50% ocean plastic hits shelves -Sky News

"A new type of plastic bottle has sparked hope in the battle against ocean pollution. The detergent container is made from 50% plastic collected from the ocean, while the other 50% is also recycled. Eight tonnes of plastic was collected from Rio de Janeiro's bay as part of the clean-up before the 2016 Olympics and this material has been used for Ecover's washing-up liquid bottle." Full Story: http://news.sky.com/story/bottle-made-from-50-ocean-plastic-hits-shelves-11097513

SOP Technologies: Patented storm drain filters

SOP Technologies continues to deliver new technologies for water pollution

Navigate our website to see how SOP Technologies is addressing issues relating to floods, pollution and high costs of stormwater maintenance. Storm drain filters located at the street prevent pollution from reaching the ocean. Also, since pollution doesn't enter stormwater pipes, plastics and other items don't clog or cause flooding issues. Cities are also using these patented devices to reduce their maintenance costs, because it costs less to clean debris at the street when compared to cleaning inside stormwater pipes. Learn more at https://soptechint.com/