Tuesday, July 26, 2016

16-Year-Old South African Invents A Low-Cost, Biodegradable Polymer To Combat Drought

Kiara Nirghin Photo: connect.citizen.co.za
Kiara Nirghin, a sixteen-year-old girl, has just won the regional award for Middle East and Africa in the Google Science Fair’s Community Impact Award. This prize is for her revolutionary invention – No More Thirsty Crops. Like the name denotes, Nirghin’s creation seeks to address drought issues currently plaguing South Africa.

Using both orange and avocado peels, the teenager created a super absorbent polymer (SAP) that acts as a reservoir in the earth. The material is said to hold three hundred times more than its weight in liquid, relative to their own mass, “keeping crops hydrated for longer at a much lower cost.”

“I sought to create a product that can improve soil quality, preserve water and resist drought, therefore producing a better environment for crops to grow,” a part of her research report read. She went on to explain that SAPs must be harmless and non-polluting with super water-absorbing and preserving capabilities.

As stated in her research report titled ‘Combatting drought with a Low-Cost, biodegradable Superabsorbent Polymer made out of orange peels,’ Nirghin discovered, that naturally occurring polymers exist in most citrus fruits.

“Orange peels contain over 64 percent of polysaccharide making it a candidate for biodegradable polymer. However, the polymer has to be cross-linked usually requiring chemicals such as Sulphur and Hydrochloric acid. I have explored an organic cross-linking method using UV light and heat.

Emulsion polymerization was then conducted by using natural oil found in avocado peels and adding it to boiled orange peels. The product is then left in the sun, utilizing photo polymerization.”
Image source: Google Science Fair project summary
Nirghin’s invention doesn’t just tackle the effects of drought, it also serves a means of converting waste into something useful. The teenager, who is obviously delighted by the result of her home-based experiment, says she would like to experiment further, make large amounts of orange peel SAPs, and apply it to crops such as maize and wheat in poor communities in South Africa. “With the use of the orange peel SAP, in agricultural drought disaster areas food security could increase by 73 percent.”

South Africa is currently going through its worst drought in 35 years, with over 2.7 million households facing water shortages across the country. There are increased job cuts in the agricultural sector as farmers sell off their land, due to a lack of access to funds. According to reports by The Inquisitr (SEE NEWS POST), about 15,000 of the 35,000 commercial farmers are struggling because of the latest drought.

Nirghin’s invention is sure to alleviate the effects of drought, not just in South Africa, but in several other countries around the world. It will also help countries manage the effects of climate change for years to come.

In her submission, Kiara Nirghin described herself as an individual who absolutely loves chemistry and physics. “I have always had a great love for chemistry since I was young. I vividly remember at the age of 7 experimenting with vinegar and baking soda solutions in plastic cups. My natural curiosity and questioning nature has sparked my everlasting love of science.”

NEWS POST: South Africa’s Farmers Continue To Struggle As Drought Continues, Farm Attacks Increase
The number of #farmers in #SouthAfrica. Not long the country will face a food crisis and starvation.@UN @DailyMailUK(Twitter Alien ‏@SAalienate  Jul 19)
As the worst drought in 35 years continues in Southern Africa, South African farmers are struggling. With the droughts, farm murders, and farm attacks, some farmers are considering selling their farms because they can’t access the funds they need to continue to operate.

The Times Live reported that South Africa has been hit with a drought for the last three years. The drought this year is the worst drought that South Africa has experienced since 1992. AgriSA‚ an organization that represents commercial farmers, said that 15,000 of the 35,000 commercial farmers are struggling and “have their backs against the wall” because of the latest drought.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, farm attacks have continued to increase while the African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party in South Africa, continues to lose support. The ANC-led government has failed to effectively deal with both the farm murders and farm attacks in South Africa, and their ineffectiveness has contributed to farming in South Africa becoming the most dangerous occupation in the world.

AgriSA called for intervention from the South African government to help farmers get through the drought.

“We are concerned about the fact that more and more big commercial farmers now have their backs to the wall … they do not have the cash flow to support their operations any longer. Agri SA had fielded hundreds of phone calls this week from farmers in dire straits.”

International Business Times reported that the debate over climate change continues to rage as the drought continues in Southern Africa. The drought has caused a food crisis that has left 50 million hungry. Southern Africa has been suffering from a deadly combination of famine and drought for years now. Not only is Southern Africa suffering, but other parts of the world are currently struggling with drought too.

News 24 reported that the recent Brexit deal in Europe may actually benefit South Africa. Critics of Brexit say that South African farmers may suffer under Brexit because of the higher tariffs that could be imposed. These tariffs would be imposed when South African exports are sent to Great Britain. Viccy Baker of the consumer price comparison website Retail Price Watch said that the higher tariffs could actually benefit local South Africans because it would make more food available on the local market.

Great Britain will need to reevaluate its current farm subsidies for British farmers because it has one of the most pernicious systems of subsidies of any country. Currently, Great Britain is not even in the top five trading partners for South Africa despite having a common language, heritage, and culture. A change to farm subsidies will increase the competitiveness of South African products in British markets.

Fresh Plaza reported that Microsoft’s Bill Gates thinks that agriculture in South Africa can be turned into a thriving business. Gates said that Africa has the potential to create an economic opportunity by ensuring the growth in the agricultural sector.

“Right now, most African smallholders suffer from an almost total lack of innovation. They plant unproductive seeds in poor soils in order to produce just enough to feed their family… Doing more of the same is going to bring even more meager harvests. The key to breaking this cycle is a series of innovations at every step along the way from farm to market.”

Gates delivered the speech when he was in South Africa for the 14th Annual Nelson Mandela Foundation Lecture. He didn’t say how he planned to help South African farmers improve their circumstances under the current economic and political conditions.

Originally published in (STORY 1) VenturesAfrica and (STORY 2) The Inquistr

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