2 teens won $50,000 for inventing a device that can filter toxic microplastics from water

Thu, 05/23/2024 - 19:33

Victoria Ou and Justin Huang stand on stage in blue suits holding their award — Victoria Ou (right) and Justin Huang (middle) won first place in their category and also snagged one of the top $50,000 prizes for their invention.
Society for Science/Chris Ayers

Victoria Ou and Justin Huang, both 17, won $50,000 for their microplastic filtration device.
It's the first filtration system to successfully use ultrasound to filter microplastics from water.
They hope to scale their device for water treatment plants to reduce microplastic pollution worldwide.

Two teenagers from Woodlands, Texas invented a device that could help address one of the most pervasive and challenging forms of pollution on Earth: microplastics.