Newtown Student is a Semifinalist for CT Science Fair

Catherine Herrick, 8th grader at St. Rose of Lima School in Newtown, has been selected for the Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair Broadcam MASTER finalists.

Catherine’s project is entitled “The Investigation Of The Presence Of Plastic Microscopic Fibers In Effluent Sewage Water And The Long Island Sound.” In her study Catherine writes:

When synthetic clothes, clothing made of polyester, fleece, nylon, spandex, acrylic, and rayon, get washed they release microscopic plastic fibers into the water supply, (Browne et al., 2011). Wastewater treatment plants do not have the necessary equipment to remove microscopic plastic pollutants from the water. The polluted water ends up in our aquifers and oceans contaminating the world’s water ecosystems.

Catherine conducted an experiment taking samples of effluent water from a household washing machine, the Long Island Sound, The Newtown Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Pootatuck River to search for microscopic plastic fibers. She found the samples of effluent water from the washing machine had micro-plastic fibers in various colors. She also found contamination in samples from the Pootatuck River and the Newtown Waste Treatment Plant which were significant in comparison to the Long Island Sound and the tap water.

Semifinalists were selected from over 2,054 applicants. Nominees qualified to enter the Broadcom MASTERS by placing in the top 10 percent of the participants at their Society for Science & The Public affiliated science fairs.The three other finalists are:

• Gabriel Hunter Mesa, Canton, now in 9th grade at the University High School of Science & Engineering, Hartford, Graphene Enhanced Piezoelectric Generator for Environmental Energy Conservation
• Prastik Mohanraj, Ansonia, now in 8th grade at Engineering and Science University Inter-district Magnet School, Hamden Using Wettability to Develop Reusable Freezer Bags
• Jonathan Wu, Wilton, now in 8th grade, Middlebrook School, Wilton Harness the Power of Wind and Solar

The winner will be chosen on September 17. Finalists will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., October 24 through October 28 to show their projects and compete in a four-day STEM competition. The top education award is $25,000 presented by the Samueli Foundation.

For more information about the CT Science Fair, click here.

Photo: CT Science Fair website