Teenagers Awarded $50,000 Prize for Creating Water Filter Device to Remove Harmful Microplastics

Two teenagers from Woodlands, Texas, Victoria Ou and Justin Huang, have invented a groundbreaking device that addresses #microplastic pollution, one of the world's most challenging environmental issues. These tiny plastic particles are found everywhere, from the ocean depths to #Mount Everest, and in everyday items like food and water. On average, people #ingest and #inhale a credit card's worth of plastic each week, which can accumulate in our lungs, blood, breastmilk, and testicles.

Ou and Huang, both 17, developed a device using ultrasonic sound waves to remove microplastics from water. This method, which is a first in the field, earned them top honors in the Earth and Environmental Sciences category at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Los Angeles. They also won the $50,000 Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations.

The #ultrasonic technique is still in its early stages, but the teens hope it will eventually filter microplastics from drinking water and wastewater. Current microplastic removal methods, like chemical coagulants and physical filters, have significant drawbacks, including environmental #pollution, high costs, and inefficiency. Ou and Huang's device, about the size of a pen, uses ultrasound waves to push microplastics back while allowing clean water to flow through. Tested on three common types of microplastics, it can remove 84% to 94% in a single pass.

The teenagers were inspired to focus on this issue after visiting a water treatment plant and learning that the EPA does not regulate microplastics, meaning existing facilities do not remove them from wastewater. With their innovative and environmentally friendly solution, Ou and Huang aim to make a significant impact on reducing microplastic pollution.

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