Congratulations to the 2024 Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair middle school students recently named national finalists. Connecticut represents 10% of all national finalists. Congratulations to their teacher Andy Bramante for his guidance and mentorship.
Mikah Kaalund (Central MS, Greenwich): The Synergistic Improvement of Indoor Air HEPA-Filtration using Concurrent Dehumidification
Prior to her research, Mikah recounted … “I spent lots of time indoors during the COVID, and realized that the indoor air wasn’t always very clean. “Low air quality originates from fireplaces, cooking appliances, household cleaning products, paints, insecticides, insulation and second-hand tobacco (or marijuana) smoke,” she says. “All share one commonality; they each release hazardous chemicals, and lead to 3.2 million deaths annually. Even worse, 90 percent of Americans’ time is spent indoors—where pollution tends to be 2-5x higher than outdoor concentrations.” Mikah decided to study how dehumidifying air and filtering it could reduce indoor air pollution. Using a simple, $20 portable dehumidifier, and a $1 charcoal filter originally meant to deter odors in one’s garbage can, Mikah’s work showed that the dehumidification/charcoal filter tandem could remove 97% of airborne nicotine from cigarettes, and up to 85% of the remaining second-hand smoke pollutants!
Tyler Malkin (Central MS, Greenwich): Development of a Simple Salivary Rapid Diagnostic for the Detection of Iodine Deficiency
Iodine deficiency is a global health problem that affects millions, often leading to serious health consequences including birth defects, developmental disorders, intellectual disabilities, and depression. Iodine deficiency is easily treatable with iodine supplementation, however the disorder often goes undetected, as current diagnostic tests are inconvenient, invasive, and require expensive detection equipment. For his project, Tyler developed a simple, rapid $2 diagnostic test for iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs), made from innovative used of gold-nanoparticles, where one simply tests his/her saliva in seconds, so that the most vulnerable populations may easily monitor iodine levels at home. With Tyler’s new diagnostic test, IDD can now be identified and treated before it leads to serious and often permanent conditions. In use, a drop of saliva is placed onto Tyler’s newly designed sensor. A blue color change would instantly indicate a positive diagnosis for iodine deficiency, while a red color signifies a normal, negative diagnosis for IDD.
Mackensey Wilson (Eastern MS, Greenwich): Shedding Light on the Prevalence of Harmful Butylated Hydroxytoluene Preservative in Artificially Formulated Dog Foods
Many of us are dog owners, and lately, we have been bombarded with new, alternative resources for dog food that is better for our pets, relative to traditional brands that we were accustomed to. Once more, brands like Acana, Wilderness, and Wellness can now be delivered to our doorstep via the Chewy app. So much has changed, however we remain committed to provide our pets with the safest dog food that is best for their health. This was/is Macky’s concern. Virtually all dog foods contain preservatives so that they remain fresh over time. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in particular, is an historic-use preservative, which is now known to be a carcinogen (cancer causing), and tumor-growth promotor. It has not been outlawed for use in dog food, and while many food brands have turned to alternatives, BHT is still “quietly” used, as it is not reported on the food content label. Macky’s research included the innovative analysis of the aforementioned brands, where she found that all three contained elevated, unsafe BHT content.
