Three teenagers from J.L. Ilsley High School in 2002 where Elias Fares, James Beaton Johnson and Amy Trottier after seeing a documentary about a Japanese fish-farmer who tossed oyster shells into a pond found which cleared the dirty water. The three young people experimented by placing scallop shells into dirty water. Within 24 hours, the water cleared. It seems that all bivalve mollusks can trap and retain pollutants within the calcite lattice of their shell.
The population of bivalve shells is finite in number. Further, undue pressures from fisheries, ornaments and jewelry (made from scallop shells), and predation (by star fish and crabs) increase their risk of extinction. This makes it more difficult to rely on this resource in the purification of potable water.
Then, it is logical to envision calcium to be a feasible material for the purposes of making nanotubes for purifying potable water. We can emulate the makeup of calcite lattice tubes of bivalve mollusks shell and its trapping qualities in the manufacture of calcium nanotubes, thus saving the species. The absorption of bivalve mollusks shells vary among different species. Experiments should be done to see which has the highest most efficient absorption quotient and implement that as a prototype to be replicated in the calcium nanotubes. Self replication of calcium nanotubes do not have to have a mega-structure, it can be done on a single or separate tube basis using templates.
As alternatives for Calcium Nanotubes, we may try the suitability of Carbon Nanotube and Calcium Crystalline Composite material or Nano Precipitated Calcium Carbonate material with fullerene caps. It may also be possible to have nanotubes that may be able to hermatically seal the pollutants trapped within and become similar to sand grains.
These calcium nanotubes initially treat potable water. This does not mean that this treatment could not be applied to all bodies of water. This application will give all fish and mammals clean water environment to save them from extinction due to over fishing and drag netting (used by fish processing ships). To clear water floating pollution, nanotubes could be made to float collecting surface water pollution as well as the bottom of the water and any where in between.
This may take time and effort, but if we do not start, nothing will be accomplished making the situation in the future more critical than it is now.
It may seem like a pipe dream, but I believe it is doable.
P.S. (Plastic pollution may remain the most environmentally dangerous kind of pollution for fish and mammals, along with under water mining).