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Microplastics refer to pieces of plastic under 5 millimeters in size. Since they are so tiny, they are often invisible to human eyes. However, they are increasingly found in various water sources, especially bottled waters and drinking waters. That is why when these two teenagers invented a way to remove microplastics from water straight out of their high school, they won a science prize and gained the community’s support.
Image Credits: The Kelly Clarkson Show YouTube
Who Are the Teenagers Behind the Invention?
Victoria Ou and Justin Huang are both 17-year-old high school students from The Woodlands, Texas, who invented this device that could filter microplastics from water. The reason why they chose this project is that they are also concerned about the increase in instances where microplastics are found in our drinking water sources.
They worked together as a team to build a device that utilizes sound waves instead of physical filtration systems to remove the microplastics in water. Their small invention impressed the judges at their science fair, where they presented the device so much that they won the $50,000 Gordon E. Moore Award. The name of the event was the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.
Read more: Planet Ark
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How Does the Device Work?
Their device is unlike any other that is currently present in the market since they used ultrasonic sound waves while others focused on chemical and traditional filters. The way it worked was that they created a special pressure zone in the water where microplastics are pushed to the side.
The pressure specifically affected the microplastics while letting the water through, and they were able to remove about 94% of the microplastics in just one pass. Would you also believe that the size of this device is just about as big as your regular pen?
Why Is This Invention Important?
Microplastics are harmful not only to human’s health but also to our environment as these tiny particles bypasses most normal filters. They always ended up polluting our oceans, lakes, and worst of all our drinking water.
Because of this, people usually drink them without ever knowing it. Their long-term health is still being studied, but most research suggests links between the amount of microplastics in your body and cardiovascular problems, especially with the heart, blood vessels, and lungs, along with other health issues.
That is why these two students’ devices will be so helpful today and in the future. They are so versatile and scalable that they can be used not only in our homes but also in factories and water treatment plants across the world. It is a simple yet very low-cost solution that can end up making a big difference that we do not yet understand.
Author's Final Thoughts
This invention is only one example of how young individuals who are passionate and dedicated enough can already help solve some of our real-world problems. Victoria and Justin’s project is not just a high school science fair experiment, it has the possibility to change our lives, the environment and the world for the better.
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