Arts Thread

When we think of petroleum in water, we imagine tanker spills in distant oceans. Yet in inland surface waters – the ones closest to our daily lives – these substances are often invisible to the human eye and remain largely unknown outside expert circles, even though they persist for decades, harming both ecosystems and human health. FLOW changes that. It is a floating screening station that uses fluorescence to detect petroleum compounds in real time, before they cause serious harm. Unlike traditional water quality monitoring, which is slow, centralized, and distant from everyday reality, FLOW works as a networked system with data accessible through an app. A practical tool for action that empowers researchers, decision-makers, and, most importantly, the communities closest to these waters to claim their right to know water quality.