Caleb Liow Jia Le and Johnny Xiao Hong Yu of Singapore have been named the winners of the 2018 Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP), a prestigious international student competition for water-related research. The award recently was presented during the 22nd SJWP ceremony at the annual World Water Week celebration in Stockholm.
The two students developed a project called “A Novel, Eco-friendly Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) from Durian Rind and Sugarcane Bagasse for Water Filters.” Their study used durian rind and a sugarcane bagasse to produce rGO, a material that can effectively purify water. Their innovative model is a low-cost and environmentally friendly method of producing rGO.
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the winning students with the top prize of $15,000 and a prize sculpture, and their school, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, will receive a $5,000 grant. Xylem has been the founding global sponsor of the SJWP international competition since its inception 22 years ago. Today, the competition draws entries from students in 32 countries around the world.
“All of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize finalists bring enormous energy and focus to this event along with their innovative ideas,” says Patrick Decker, President and CEO of Xylem. “Each year, we are inspired by their impressive work that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible, which makes us so proud to support this unique competition. Their drive to solve a water issue that may be close to home or across the globe illustrates that working together, we can overcome these challenges. Supporting their studies, vision and ideas will yield a more sustainable environment for generations to come.”
An interview with Patrick Decker and the Stockholm Junior Water Prize winners is available to view here.
The Diploma of Excellence was awarded to Tatsuyoshi Odai and Narumi Sakamoto of Japan for a project called “The New Green Revolution: Hybrid System of Phytoremediation and Food Production in Eutrophicated Ponds/Lakes.” Their work focused on developing an integrated system for eutrophication to purify water and produce food by combining plants, nitrifying bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi. This team will receive an award of $3,000.
The international SJWP is presented each year to students between the ages of 15 and 20 for outstanding water-related projects that focus on topics of environmental, scientific, social or technological importance. Winners from 32 countries competed for the international honor in 2018, which was awarded by an international jury of water professionals and scientists.
The prize is administered by the Stockholm International Water Institute.
