Three young scientists have discovered a novel way of cleaning polluted water with scallop shells. James Beaton-Johnson, Elias Fares and Amy Trottier, students at J.L. Ilsley High School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, were inspired by a documentary film about a Japanese fish farmer who threw oyster shells into a murky pond and found the water cleared. They tested their idea by soaking scallop shells in dirty dish water and observed that 24 hours later the water had cleared.
The students discovered that the shape and chemical makeup of the shells neutralizes the pH of water and filters out bacteria, sediment and heavy metals. They were able to successfully make use of their method to improve the water quality on a river flowing through their school's property and have won prizes at three different science fairs. Next week they will be presenting their findings at the World Youth Parliament for Water in Quebec City and are preparing to publish in a scientific journal. James, Elias, and Amy all plan to study science at university.
From
Neural Gourmet via
CBC News.