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Detecting water pollution while having fun is now possible. A system allows sensors to be placed on surfers to detect the presence of heavy metals in the oceans.
“You do your session, you surf, you immerse the sensors.“Surfers can now help scientists estimate the level of pollution at sea. This is possible thanks to sensors, placed in a calf strap, which athletes wear during their dives. “The idea is that we immerse about a hundred hours in total over a season and, at the end of the year, we will analyze all that to see if there are any pollutants”, explains Marc Valmassoni, campaign coordinator at Surfrider, an association fighting for the protection of water.
The project, born in 2020, is the result of discussions between Surfrider and Ifremer, the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea.We sought to answer the questions and concerns of our members, our volunteers on: is there a risk in bathing in water that is contaminated with chemical pollutants?”, says Marc Valmassoni.
Pauline Ado, world surfing champion, was able to test this device. “I go in the water every day, so when you see your favorite environment deteriorating, it always hurts”, she admits. “That’s why I think it’s important to have these experiences, to be interested in what is happening and then to take action to protect it.”
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