Annually, 31,000 to 42,000 tons of microplastics enter European farmland through sewage sludge alone. Once microplastic particles penetrate soil, they are nearly impossible to remove. Arya Satheesh, an 18-year-old student from Letterkenny in Ireland, developed an unconventional solution: a plant-based plastic that releases enzymes as it degrades, attacking plastic already present in soil. The Eco Purge project won the European category of the Earth Prize in May 2026.
The Problem: 42,000 Tons of Microplastics on European Farmland
Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than five millimeters, created when plastic breaks down through UV exposure, mechanical abrasion, or weathering. They have been found in the deep ocean, Arctic ice, and human blood. Estimates from US studies suggest an adult ingests 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles annually through food and water; including inhalation from air, the figure can reach 121,000.
The situation in European soils is particularly concerning: according to Cardiff University research, European farmland absorbs 31,000 to 42,000 tons of microplastics annually, mostly through sewage sludge applied as fertilizer. This equals the weight of over one billion standard disposable bottles, invisibly fragmented into European farm soils. The researchers describe European farmland as potentially the world's largest microplastics reservoir. Existing approaches have focused on preventing further contamination or removing microplastics from water surfaces. What gets trapped deep in soil largely remains untouched.
How Eco Purge Works
Satheesh developed a plant-based, biodegradable plastic with embedded enzymes, according to her project description. As the material itself breaks down, it releases enzymes that act on existing microplastics in soil, freshwater, and saltwater. The dual approach: the material leaves no plastic residue itself while simultaneously releasing compounds that target pre-existing contamination.
According to a Euronews report, the enzymes are produced via genetically modified bacteria. Satheesh worked with University College Dublin, Atlantic Technological University Letterkenny, and the BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Centre on development. Quantitative efficacy data from laboratory experiments has not yet been publicly released; the technology is at an early development stage. Before the Earth Prize, the project had already received recognition: at the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition 2026, Satheesh placed second in the Biology and Ecology category.
Earth Prize 2026: From 6,000 Projects to Seven Winners
The Earth Prize is awarded by the nonprofit Earth Foundation based in Geneva. The organization calls it the world's largest environmental sustainability competition for youth aged 13 to 19. In 2026, it received over 6,000 applications from 169 countries. From these, 35 finalists, known as Earth Scholars, and seven regional winners were selected.
Satheesh won the European category. The global grand prize went to the Indian team Plas-Stick, consisting of Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta (all 16 years old). The team developed a process in which tamarind seed powder clumps microplastic particles, allowing them to be subsequently removed magnetically without requiring energy or electricity. Plas-Stick has already been tested with over 8,000 students and teachers. Each of the seven regional winners receives $12,500 prize money for further project development.
In Comparison: What Already Works Against Microplastics
Plas-Stick demonstrates a complementary approach: tamarind seed powder binds microplastic particles from waterways into clumps that can then be magnetically filtered out without electricity and without expensive equipment. The competition winner addresses microplastics in accessible surface waters. Eco Purge targets a different problem: particles trapped deep in soils and sediments, where mechanical filtration cannot work.
On an industrial level, the French company Carbios has demonstrated a different path: an engineered enzyme variant (LCC-cutinase) that decomposes PET plastic 98 percent in 24 hours at approximately 70 degrees Celsius. A pilot plant has operated since 2021. However, the process requires industrial reactors under defined conditions and does not function in natural soils or waterways. Microplastics research thus shows a fundamental pattern: each technology addresses a different part of the problem. No solution yet exists that simultaneously captures all emission sources and deposition sites.
What Separates Schoolwork from Market Readiness
Three hurdles separate Eco Purge from practical deployment.
First, efficacy evidence: no publicly accessible laboratory results exist on degradation rates or the duration of enzyme activity released. Without quantifiable data, regulatory review becomes impossible.
Second, cost reduction: enzyme production via genetically modified bacteria is currently labor-intensive according to Euronews. Whether this scales to economically viable industrial production remains unclear.
Third, ecological safety: enzymes specifically attacking plastic molecules could interact with other organic compounds in soils. Long-term studies would be needed to clarify impacts on soil ecosystems before widespread deployment became defensible. With prize money and affiliation with BiOrbic, Satheesh has institutional backing for the next development phase. These three open questions will shape the research agenda for years to come.