Perry Alagappan from the United States has received the 2015 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for inventing a filter through which toxic heavy metals from electronic waste can be removed from water. Rapid advances in technology have resulted in a significant rise of electronic waste in our waters, which contains highly toxic heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, and lead. Combining his interest for water with that of nanotechnology, Perry created a first-ofits- kind filter that removes over 99 percent of heavy metal contaminants from drinking and industrial wastewater. “This project addresses a critical water issue with broad implications for the whole world,” said the jury in its citation. “Through its sound science and sustainable technology, the solution is scalable from household to industrial scale for a broad range of applications.”
