American student wins 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for his invention of RENEWABLE FILTER

Toxic heavy metals are found naturally in the earth and become concentrated as a result of human-caused activities. They enter the plant, animal, and human tissues via inhalation, diet, and manual handling, and can bind to, and interfere with the functioning of vital cellular components. It is paramount to remove this toxic heavy metal contamination from water to have a healthy life.   

2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize

One such Innovative solution from Perry Alagappan – “Novel Renewable Filter for Heavy Metal Removal: A Practical Application of Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.” -has received the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for inventing a filter through which toxic heavy metals from electronic waste can be removed from the water. This award ceremony was held on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at World Water Week (Aug. 23-28) in Stockholm, Sweden.  

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize to Perry Alagappan. (Credit: Jonas Berg) (Source: Waterworld)   

Mr. Alagappan became interested in how rapid technological advances have resulted in a significant rise in electronic waste, including toxic heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead, found in the waterways. Combining his interests in water and nanotechnology, he focused his intensive research on creating a first-of-its-kind filter that removes more than 99 percent of heavy metal contaminants from drinking and industrial wastewater.   

H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented Mr. Alagappan with the top prize of U.S. $15,000 and a prize sculpture, and Mr. Alagappan’s school will receive a U.S. $5,000 award. Xylem has been a sponsor of the SJWP global competition since its inception nearly 20 years ago, which today draws entries from students in nearly 30 countries around the world.   

“As a long-standing supporter of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, we continue to be inspired by the ingenuity and passion of all these bright students, who bring fresh perspectives to address some of the world’s most daunting water challenges,” said Patrick Decker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xylem. “At Xylem, we are committed to supporting initiatives such as the Stockholm Junior Water Prize that will help advance these innovative ideas to solve global water issues.”  

Source: Xylem  

Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology provider, enabling customers to transport, treat, test, and efficiently use water in public utility, residential and commercial building services, industrial and agricultural settings.

The company does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands, and its people bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on finding local solutions to the world’s most challenging water and wastewater problems.

Xylem is headquartered in Rye Brook, New York, with 2014 revenues of $3.9 billion and approximately 12,500 employees worldwide. Xylem was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the last three years for advancing sustainable business practices and solutions worldwide.  (Source: Xylem)