A high school junior has developed a cost-effective filtration system for a dangerous contaminant, providing hope that cleaner, healthier water could be on the horizon for all.
Fauquier Now reported that Mia Heller received a $500 prize from the Patent and Trademark Office Society, a community of intellectual property professionals, for her second-place finish at Ohio's Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in May.
The honor was for her Self-Recycling System for Microplastic Removal, which uses ferrofluid — a carrier liquid that contains magnetic particles — to filter microplastic particles from water.
According to the project summary, Heller's prototype removed more than 95% of microplastics while recycling around 87% of the ferrofluid for later use, demonstrating similar results to more expensive microplastic filtration technologies.
"Traditional water filtration systems' high costs, reliance on chemical treatments, and maintenance requirements make them inaccessible to underserved areas," wrote Heller, who attends Mountain Vista Governor's School in Virginia.
"... The system developed offers a potential alternative to existing filtration technologies, and in regions facing barriers to clean water access could turn the tide on the way water pollution is addressed," she continued, pointing to the prototype's energy efficiency and sustainability.
The project sparked excitement because microplastic pollution has become an increasingly pressing public health concern. Scientific studies have linked microplastic exposure to hormonal disruptions, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, as Heller noted, among other things.
While community cleanups can help remove large pieces of plastic, microplastics are no bigger than 5 millimeters and can be invisible to the naked eye, so filtration solutions are crucial.
The world is producing more plastic than ever before. As a result, microplastics have become abundant in waterways and ecosystems, as plastics don't easily break down, with some taking more than 1,000 years to degrade. If things continue as they have, researchers fear oceans could have more plastic than fish in just 25 years.
This marked the second time a student from Fauquier County received international science fair honors, per Fauquier Now.
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Never 👎 It came after Heller claimed the top award at the Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair in March, which earned her the right to compete at the international event.
The following month, the Virginia Section American Water Works Association recognized her with a $500 special award.
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