Scientists estimate that 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes each year. The accumulation of this plastic in the water column, on our beaches and shorelines, and in the sediments of our lakes, rivers, and wetlands results in ecological, social, economic, and, potentially, human health impacts. While the ultimate solution to plastic waste proliferation must involve the manufacturing sector, new technologies are also needed to address the current waste issue and associated impacts to the natural world. The Great Bubble Barrier - a 2022 finalist for the Earthshot Prize - is a promising solution, and it is coming to Michigan.

The Great Bubble Barrier releases a stream of bubbles from a perforated tube along the river bottom. As these bubbles rise to the surface, they redirect waste into a collection basin on the shoreline, where it can be removed and repurposed. Pilot studies in the Netherlands show an 86% waste catchment rate, a highly successful outcome. But the effectiveness of the technology for U.S. rivers is so far unknown.

The City of Grand Rapids, MI is planning a bubble barrier installation on the Grand River. Our team of collaborators from Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University will investigate the social, ecological, and hydrological conditions of the Grand River prior to and following the installation of the Great Bubble Barrier. Outputs and outcomes of this project will include: deeper social-ecological understanding of the impacts of plastic waste in Michigan rivers, an evaluation of the social and ecological impacts of the bubble barrier technology in the Grand River, an evidence-based communication strategy about the bubble barrier installation, broad public engagement across audiences through informal environmental education and public art, and increased stewardship attitudes and action along the Grand River corridor.

GVSU and AWRI Drs. Al Steinman, Amanda Buday, Matt Cooper, Mark Luttenton, and Ryan Otter and their labs are collaborating with Drs. Joan Rose, Yoorae Noh, Phanikumar Mantha, and Lissy Goralnik at Michigan State University's Water Alliance to conduct a series of studies as a one-year pilot to advance social-ecological knowledge about and community engagement with plastic waste in the Grand River to better understand the system prior to the installation of the bubble barrier.  

Our project will characterize the river waste, water system, and community dynamics of the Grand River to lay the groundwork for effective implementation of the bubble barrier technology and build capacity in the region to address the plastic waste problem in Michigan waterways. Specifically, to: (1) characterize the plastic waste in the Grand River, (2) model the hydrology and hydrodynamics of the Grand River, (3) evaluate the potential ecological impacts of the bubble barrier technology, (4) conduct public attitude surveys, and (5) install public art develop informal environmental learning materials to engage communities in conversations about healthy rivers, place relationships, and stewardship.

Al Steinman: [email protected]
Amanda Buday: [email protected]
Matt Cooper: [email protected]
Mark Luttenton: [email protected]
Ryan Otter: [email protected]