Think the Earth

From July 2009 the "Rotary International District 2840," which is comprised of 47 rotary clubs in Gunma prefecture, will try to help improve water quality of the Dongalo River in Manila, Philippines. The material that will be used in this undertaking is carbon fiber. We often hear carbon fiber being mentioned nowadays, but do you know about its key features?

When attempting to improve water quality it is extremely important to ensure that this does not impact the environment. Although the use of chemicals may do wonders to temporarily improve the water quality, if the ecosystem is destroyed in the process the benefits from having clean water would go to waste. This, often times, is not a fundamental solution to the problem.

Carbon fiber, made by heating acrylic resin at high temperatures, is lightweight, strong, and resistant to corrosion. Microorganisms that begin to live in the carbon fiber when it is placed underwater capture and decompose contaminants such as organic substances and ammonia in the water. In addition, a great number of fishes start to live nearby and to develop a high affinity for the carbon fiber as it offers the fishes a place to spawn and nurture their offspring. Not only is the carbon fiber eco-friendly, but it is also budget-friendly - it supports the activities of microorganisms, it continuously cleans the water, and it doesn't require maintenance.

For this project, the carbon fiber has been woven into 1 m long and 50 cm wide sections using nishijin brocade technology, which will be placed into the Dongalo River.