Earlier this year, 17-year-old Zabeer Zarif Akhter earned a coveted spot in The Stockholm Junior Water Prize — an international competition hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute in Sweden.
In the competition, students from ages 15 to 20 are tasked with developing research projects and building inventions that tackle the world’s leading water challenges, including pollution, drought, and water scarcity.
Akhter’s focus? Contamination.
In his home country of Bangladesh, a shocking 49% of the country’s drinking well water has unsafe limits of carcinogenic arsenic, which can cause skin lesions and cancer in the bladder and the lungs.
Climate change has worsened the water contamination crisis, with an uptick in cyclones and torrential monsoons causing devastating floods throughout the country.
In August, floodwaters displaced 1.24 million Bangladeshi families from their homes, as countless households became breeding grounds for bacteria and parasites, spreading waterborne illnesses.
“The prevalent issue of waterborne diseases in Bangladesh, primarily stemming from bacteria in water sources, necessitates innovative solutions,” Akhter wrote in his 20-page application for the competition.
To tackle this pressing issue, Akhter invented a first-of-its-kind water purification system that uses ultraviolet radiation and plasma sterilization to remove pathogens like E. coli, TC toxins, and Fd bacteriophage from the water.
Remarkably, the water purifier is made entirely from electronic waste including recycled laptop batteries, damaged circuit boards, abandoned driver motors, and even parts from an old TV.
Electronic waste is notoriously hard to break down, and it is one of the fastest-growing solid waste streams in the world, with an estimated 62 million tons produced each year.
“In this project, the components used were all reusable parts from various devices or home appliances,” Akhter explained.
“By utilizing electronic waste, this project not only showcases an innovative approach to resource management but also highlights the importance of recycling and reusing materials to reduce environmental pollution.”
The invention is also solar-powered, which makes it more sustainable. And it also ensures that it’s accessible to the people who need it most: those living in flooded regions that lack power.
“The incorporation of solar panels for charging not only enhances sustainability but also holds the potential to significantly improve water purification in flood prone areas of Bangladesh and [the] world, reducing the incidence of water-borne diseases,” Akhter wrote in his paper.
Tanvir Ahmed, a civil engineering professor who served as a jury board member for the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Bangladesh, told the Business Standard that Akhter’s invention is successful on countless levels.
“This breakthrough represents a significant stride towards sustainable, environment-friendly and cost effective water management practices, heralding a new era in the fight against water pollution,” Ahmed said.
In August, at the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Sweden, Akhter’s invention did not take home the top prize — but he did represent his country with pride.
Back home, the Bangladesh Stockholm Junior Water Prize authority said: “This young visionary has triumphed with his groundbreaking water innovation, inspiring us all with his commitment to a sustainable future.”
Header image via Pok Rie
