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Teen Turns Trash to Treasure for Cleaner Water
5 Oct
Summary
- Seventh-grader developed chitosan powder from shellfish.
- Chitosan powder removed microplastics from polluted water.
- Project earned finalist spot at Junior Innovators Challenge.
A young innovator has repurposed discarded shellfish shells into a potent agent for water purification. Nathan Gael Montelongo, a seventh-grader from La Joya, Texas, was inspired by concerns over microplastic contamination in the Rio Grande. He transformed waste shells from local restaurants into chitosan powder, a material known for its ability to bind with pollutants.
Nathan's experiments showed that his chitosan powder could remove between 55% and 75% of microplastic simulants in initial tests. Further trials with actual Rio Grande water samples revealed that the chitosan effectively clarified the water and improved its quality, as confirmed by Arduino sensors. He also observed that zebrafish embryos exposed to the treated water showed improved survival and development compared to those in untreated samples.
Expanding on his findings, Nathan designed a prototype raft equipped with water quality sensors and a system for releasing chitosan as needed. This concept aims to create an automated approach to tackling water pollution. His project, which earned him a place among the 30 finalists for the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, will see him travel to Washington, D.C., from October 23 to 28.
