FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Lori Harrison, (703) 684-2480
lharrison@wef.org
August 19, 2008
U.S. Student Takes Top Honors at International Stockholm Junior Water Prize Competition
Alexandria, Va. - Joyce Chai of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. has been named the international winner of the 2008 Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) – the most prestigious international competition for water-related research. Chai received $5,000 and a crystal sculpture from HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden during a royal ceremony Tuesday evening in Stockholm.
The student’s work, “Modeling the Toxic Effects of Silver Nanoparticles under Varying Environmental Conditions”, demonstrated a novel technique to quantifying the potential toxicity of silver nanoparticles to the world's water sources and the environment as well as repudiated the assertion that consumer products that contain nanosilver are more reliable and less environmentally hazardous.
Representing the United States, Chai competed against national winners from more than 30 countries at the international competition which is held every August in conjunction with the Stockholm Water Symposium during World Water Week in Sweden. Earlier this year, Chai was named the winner of the U.S. SJWP competition which is organized by the Water Environment Federation and sponsored by ITT Corporation (also the international sponsor), The Coca-Cola Company, and Delta Air Lines. The California Water Environment Association selected and sponsored Chai for the U.S. competition that was held this past May in Orlando, Fla.
As the U.S. winner, the student from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. received $3,000 (USD) and an all-expense-paid trip to Stockholm for the international competition. In addition, Chai’s school received a $1,000 grant toward enhancing water science education and she will present her research to more than 18,000 water quality professionals at WEFTEC®.08 - the Water Environment Federation's 81st annual technical exhibition and conference - this October in Chicago, Ill.
For more information about the international SJWP competition, World Water Week and to download abstracts from Chai and the 2008 finalists, please visit www.worldwaterweek.org.
Click here to learn more about the U.S. SJWP competition.
About WEF
Formed in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with 35,000 individual members and 81 affiliated Member Associations representing an additional 50,000 water quality professionals throughout the world. WEF and its member associations proudly work to achieve our mission of preserving and enhancing the global water environment.
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