American student wins 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize

An American student received the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize on Tuesday night for inventing a filter through which toxic heavy metals from electronic waste can be removed from water.

At the Grand Hotel in central Stockholm, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the prize to Perry Alagappan, who won out of the group of 29 finalists.

"This project addresses a critical water issue with broad implications for the whole world. Through its sound science and sustainable technology, the solution is scalable from household to industrial scale for a broad range of applications," said the Jury in its citation.

"The technology used in the project could revolutionize the way water can be treated and heavy metals recovered," the Jury concluded.

According to the World Water Week, Alagappan's design created a first-of-its-kind filter that removes over 99 percent of heavy metal contaminants from drinking and industrial waste water.

"I am surprised, but so honored, to win this award. I want to launch my study as open source technology that others can use and build upon in their research. This way, I think we can solve really big issues," said Alagappan after having received the award.

Teams from 29 countries competed in the 2015 finals of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, which encourages young scientists to develop their continued interest in water and the environment. Endit