Fruit Peel Polymer to Combat Drought

Date:August 14, 2016

Country: South Africa

Application

• Agricultural Water Conservation: Helps farmers maintain crops by storing water during droughts.
• Sustainable Irrigation Solution: Uses recycled fruit peel waste to create biodegradable, water-absorbing material.

Description

Kiara Nirghin, a 16-year-old South African, developed a super absorbent polymer using orange peel and avocado skins to combat drought. The polymer can store hundreds of times its weight in water, providing a low-cost solution for farmers to maintain crops during water shortages. The material is sustainable, using recycled waste products, and is biodegradable. Kiara's innovation won the Google Science Fair’s Community Impact Award for the Middle East and Africa.

 

 

Pathway Description:

Kiara Nirghin extracted polysaccharides from orange peel and used the oil from avocado skins. She combined these materials and left the mixture in the sun, where they reacted to form a super absorbent polymer (SAP). This polymer can store large amounts of water, making it ideal for agricultural use. The process utilizes waste products, making it an eco-friendly solution for drought management.