A Healthier & Greener World
One of the main problems humanity is facing is climate change due to pollution. Ecuadorian scientists Queenny López and Gabriela Samaniego began a project in 2017 that has the solution that may just change the world we live in, forever…
Anuka, which means “algae” in Kichwa, is an Ecuadorian bio-enterprise that began in 2017 and is run by Queenny López and Gabriela Samaniego. Their objective is to contribute to the mitigation of climate change by adapting nature to our needs with a low environmental impact and offering practical and highly efficient solutions. According to the UN data, cities are responsible for around 70% of CO2 emissions, being the main contributors to climate change. At the same time, the effects of climate change are closely linked to vulnerable people in poverty-stricken conditions, creating a bigger gap in their quality of life.
Anuka focuses on designing and constructing bio-filters for CO2 absorption and oxygen conversion through microalgae. Microalgae has the capacity to convert CO2 into oxygen approximately 100 times more than trees do. The filters are cylindrical towers measuring up to 2 meters high. They absorb air from a certain area that passes through a physical filter (that retains particulate matter and microorganisms) and subsequently goes through to a sprinkler that bubbles the air inside the tower where the microalgae, water and nutrients are found. Finally, thanks to photosynthesis, the algae converts CO2 into oxygen that exits from the top of the tower.
In fact, this prize won an award from GIST Tech in Bahrain yesterday!
We are so proud of this amazing project that has finally become a reality! Little by little, Ecuador is contributing to the making of a healthier and greener world!
Pictures by: Anaí Garzón
