A “nanobubble” system which harnesses solar energy to improve water quality is being used to clean up the canals of Mexico City’s Xochimilco ecological zone.

Officials in Mexico City have been focused on cleaning up the polluted waters of Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the few areas of the capital that still boasts canal networks dating back to Aztec times.

A team of researchers from the Center for Research and Advanced Studies (Cinvestav) has developed a method using solar energy to activate a pump that sends cleansing “nanobubbles” into the water.

The bubbles help oxygenate the water, eliminating harmful pollutants and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The solar panels powering the nanobubble technology sit atop Xochimilco’s barge-like boats or trajineras.

It is understand that the nanobubble system could be replicated in other waterways in Mexico City.

Image: REUTERS/Toya Sarno Jordan

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living