A group of Chileans is repurposing hair discarded by hair salons and dog groomers to clean up hydrocarbon spills in water.
The Chilean chapter of the international ecological non-profit Matter of Trust (MOT) is leading this initiative through their project Petropelo. They use tube-like devices called booms, made from mesh and filled with hair, to attract and trap oil in lakes, streams, coasts, and other waterways.
MOT members also weave hair into mats. These mats, due to hair’s natural porous qualities, can clean local waterways of oils, heavy metals, and even bacteria.
“A single kilo of hair can clean on average five liters of hydrocarbons,” said Mattia Carenini, general manager of Matter of Trust Chile. He added that sometimes it can clean upwards of nine liters.
In the town of Laguna Verde, near Chile’s port city Valparaiso, the group placed four booms and a hair mat in a stream carrying greywater from a plant to the ocean. After about a month, the devices collected 15 kilograms of contaminants, according to Carenini.
“We are regenerating the place little by little,” he added.
Another project by the group, called Agropelo, uses hair to make woven mats for soil. These mats help retain soil moisture by reducing direct evaporation and saving part of the irrigation water.
The project works with salons across Chile. According to Carenini, the hair cut from one person can help clean up to 20,000 liters of water.
