My project aimed to develop a water test that identifies fecal contamination in under 10 hours, part of UNICEF’s 2021 global innovation challenge. Unlike existing 24-hour tests requiring labs and only detecting indicators (often inaccurately), my test works in the field and detects all bacteria within 9 hours. This ensures accurate assessment of drinking water safety. In rural African communities, it allows immediate water quality reassessment after extreme weather events and can determine the safer of two water sources within the same day. By testing directly for bacterial pathogens, I provide a more reliable method to ensure safe drinking water globally, particularly in vulnerable regions.

Rapidly growing populations put pressure on ecosystems and negatively affect water quality. An increase in impervious surfaces, such as parking lots and roads, provides a superhighway for pollutants to enter water systems and destabilize ecosystems. This study focused on the utilization of fungi native to North America that release enzymes to decompose pesticides, hydrocarbons, and harmful waste by preventing contamination from entering a watershed system at its origin. Two primary components of this experiment tested the filtration properties of Pleutorous ostreatus and Grifola frondosa in vitro and in a real-life scenario at a golf course. Both species reduced soil contaminants, notably nitrates, nitrites, sulfates, and lead, in lab and field studies. This solution balances environmental protection efforts with sustainable development.

Harmful algae blooms plague aquatic ecosystems around the world. They impact water quality and ecosystem diversity, cause dead zones, and cost the fishing and tourism industries millions of dollars. In this project, different genotypes of Daphnia magna were compared for algae consumption. The most effective genotype was then tested under different environmental conditions to see which factors helped or hindered their success at harmful algae bloom treatment and prevention. It was discovered that genotype 4 is the ideal genotype of D. magna to biomanipulate to treat and prevent harmful algae blooms, can effectively do this in nutrient and plastic polluted environments, and can have their health and success improved through calcium carbonate and naturally occurring aquatic microbes.

Throughout developing and developed countries, the proliferation of mining and smelting operations continues to occur. This industry is crucial to the economic development and states of nations across the globe. This impact includes contamination of surrounding bodies of fresh drinking water with heavy metals. To scientifically address this concern, an eco-friendly biopolymer was embedded with mechanically isolated tannins from oak leaves. The biopolymer was then used to extract sample heavy metals from contaminated water. The results were measured using the change in mass, change in clarity, change in concentration of metal in water, and the effects on radish seedling germination. It was found that using a tannin-embedded biopolymer is an economically and eco-friendly way to remove heavy metals from water.

This study tested disintegration rates of products marketed as flushable, which did not disintegrate, causing concern.