A team of Rice students has won the top award at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s P3 National Student Design Expo Experience.
Last year, the team won a research grant from the EPA as part of its People, Prosperity and the Planet program. Their project was titled “Chemical-free UV Unit That Degrades PFAS in Landfill Leachate Using Non-toxic Boron Nitride.”
“PFAS are per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, chemicals commonly used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products resistant to heat, oil, stains, grease and water. They’re used in many products, including waterproof clothing, food packaging and non-stick cooking surfaces, and they’re called ‘forever chemicals,’” said Joshua Samba, team leader and a doctoral student in the applied physics program. He is advised by Michael Wong, the Patel Chair in Molecular Nanotechnology, chair of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department, and professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.
Forever chemicals have been linked to immunity, thyroid, kidney and reproductive problems. One of them, perfluorooctanoic acid, has been designated a possible carcinogen, with a half-life of 92 years in the environment and two to eight years in the human body. PFAs are not readily degradable and linger in the environment. Scientists have found them in the blood of virtually all Americans, including newborns.
Samba attended the Expo with Abe Nelson, a junior in civil engineering, one of six undergraduate team members.
“It was inspiring to be among other students passionate about addressing environmental issues through engineering solutions,” Nelson said. “It makes me optimistic about the future to know my generation has many hands working to make the world a cleaner place.”
Wong added: “This is entirely a student-run project, using research that has come out of my lab. The initial funding from EPA jump-started this important, student-centered work.”
The 2024 P3 Sustainable Design Student Award was presented by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The EPA event was held June 17-18 in National Harbor, Md.