# Project Description

Xinyu Cao

10032760@network.rca.ac.uk

linkedin.com/in/xinyu-cao-937ba728b

About

Xinyu Cao has a background in Chemical Engineering, where she gained firsthand experience in building chemical plants and understanding how industrial processes can create environmental pollutants. Motivated by this exposure, she transitioned into Analytical Chemistry, focusing on the detection and analysis of harmful substances. This shift deepened her commitment to raising public awareness about the invisible chemical components that contribute to climate change and health hazards.

Driven by a passion for sustainability, Xinyu approaches innovation with a focus on reusing and repurposing waste materials rather than generating new waste. She is committed to technology transfer—bridging the gap between complex, lab-based scientific tools and user-friendly, manufacturable solutions that can make a real-world impact.

Her latest project, TRAQUA, is a portable device that enables the detection of microplastics in everyday drinking water, making the invisible visible. TRAQUA empowers individuals with accessible, real-time information about microplastic contamination, promoting healthier lifestyle choices, encouraging corporate responsibility in the plastics industry, and informing evidence-based policy change.

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