The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) announced the 2023 winners of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize.
Naomi Park from the United States received the Stockholm Junior Water Prize,
Naomi Park received the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize for her research on the removal of carbon dioxide and oil products from the ocean. HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the winner with her award during a ceremony at World Water Week in Stockholm.
In her research, Naomi Park has developed a method to simultaneously remove both contaminants. For this, she was announced the winner of Stockholm Junior Water Prize, an international competition where students between the ages of 15 and 20 present solutions to major water challenges.
Speaking on winning the prize, Park said: “I did this project in my high school. I joined our research program as a freshman. It is just something that I wanted to do for fun. I never realized that I would get to this point. It is very much a shock right now.”
The Jury noted that “the winner is taking a troublesome waste product and using it to help solve a number of the most pressing issues we face in the modern world. By using Styrofoam and creating a ‘sponge’ that absorbs both carbon dioxide and oil products from the ocean, this student built a model and tested it — in multiple conditions, even simulating ocean waves — with impressive results.”
The Diploma of Excellence was awarded to Ayse Pelin Dedeler from Turkey for her study on how to capture microplastics with magnetic nano-adsorbents and remove them from the water using strong magnets.
The People’s Choice Award went to Fernando de Silva Hernández and Carlos Erquizio from Mexico, completing the line-up of winners.
The Stockholm Junior Water Prize has been organized every year since 1997 by SIWI, with Xylem as Founding Partner.
