Concordia student makes environmental breakthrough
When Concordia student Danny Luong entered a science fair in 2009, he never imagined his project would win the regional competition. But it did. In fact, it went on to win provincial, national, and even international prizes.
Along with former classmate Alexandre Allard, Luong discovered a method to decompose polystyrene in just three weeks. On its own in nature, this process takes up to 100 years.
The idea behind the project is that, under the right conditions, certain bacteria can deteriorate polystyrene materials. The pair identified three such bacteria: pseudomonas fluorescens, pseudomonas putida and streptomyces griseus.
“The general hypothesis was based on the principle of evolution and natural selection, which is a concept that has been proven by past scientific literature but that has not yet been applied to Styrofoam degradation,” explained 20-year-old Luong. “I wasn't that surprised that the project worked because it seemed logical to me, but the results blew me away. I never expected complete biodegradation in three weeks.”
Styrofoam is not currently recycled in Canada as the common chemical decomposition methods are expensive and harmful to the planet.
“Recent publications have shown that Styrofoam can release toxic molecules in water,” explained Luong. “If we can degrade it before it ends up in the water, we can protect human health and the environment.”
The experimental phase of the project is complete. Next, Luong and Allard plan to commercialize the method. To this end, Luong plans to switch from his biology major to a business degree at the John Molson School of Business. The pair hopes that companies like Recyc-Québec will adopt this process to allow for the recycling of polystyrene.
“I think the most rewarding part of the project is the fact that it has the potential not only to be marketable, but also to be beneficial to the environment,” beamed Luong. “We hope that our method becomes widely used, especially in third-world countries, because it is cheap, efficient and environmentally friendly.”
Last week, Luong and Allard were honoured at the Gala Excellence La Presse/Radio-Canada. They were named Personnalités de l’avenir, a new category underlining the exceptional accomplishments of promising youth. Neither Luong nor Allard expected the recognition their project garnered, maintaining that the key element is being able to make a difference.
Journalism student Sarah Volstad is an intern with Concordia’s University Communications Services.
Related links:
• Cyberpresse article
• CBC article