Shneel Malik, a Barlett School of Architecture doctoral candidate, has created Indus — a modular wall system that uses ceramic tiles and algae to clean water that has been polluted by dyes and chemicals.
The ceramic tiles used to create this modular wall are layered with microalgae and a seaweed-based hydrogel. When water passes through, the wall works its magic by eliminating toxins from the water in a cost-effective way.
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The tiles have leaf-like channels carved inside that hold an algae hydrogel. As the water runs through the channels, it gets cleared of its toxins as a result of the algae’s natural bioremediation capabilities. Depending on the toxicity, the water can pass through multiple times.
The project’s end goal is to eliminate water and soil pollution, a by-product of textile dyes, by using a cost-effective and less-technical infrastructure.
The story behind Indus is fascinating. In 2016, The Amity University graduate was traveling to certain parts of India. While traveling, she noticed small-scale jewelry workers and textile dyers were releasing dangerous toxins (such as cadmium, lead, and arsenic) into the water.
These dangerous toxins were not just poisoning the water. They were also threatening the soil, air, and the community that lived there.
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In a statement to FastCompany, Malik said:
“With the support of NGOs such as Pure Earth and CEE in India, who are involved in tackling pollution, we were able to visit multiple sites in Kolkata (bangle-makers) and Panipat (textile dyers) in India. These site visits made us better understand the site- and context-specific constraints and challenges in wastewater treatment.”
“Neither the artisan workers have any space available for Westernised high-tech water treatment solutions, nor do they have the economic capacity to get additional support. Therefore, we started to design a system which is both spatially compatible, but more importantly, can be constructed and maintained by the artisans themselves.”1
Currently, the seaweed hydrogel that is infused in the tiles needs to be replaced every few months. Malik and her team are researching ways to make it more sustainable so they can strike a balance between longevity and the detoxification, while also keeping the costs to a minumum.
What a great idea!
