2008: Joyce Chai (California)
Modeling the Toxic Effects of Silver Nanoparticles under Varying
Environmental Conditions 

Due to the abundance of silver nanoparticles in the nanotechnology consumer market, "nanosilver" has become a major concern in the scientific community. This investigation attempts to model and quantify the toxicity of nanosilver under varying environmental conditions and to measure the reliability of a nanosilver consumer product. In Phase I and II of this investigation, a novel, high-throughput bacterial toxicity assay was developed in order to quantify the toxicity of nanosilver, redefined as the percentage of dead cells that died in excess to that of the natural death of cells. Most importantly, Phase III of this investigation repudiated the assertion that silver nanoparticles are more reliable and less environmentally hazardous. This investigation took fundamental steps toward understanding and quantifying the potential environmental consequences and risks of using nanoparticles.


2007: Jingyuan Luo (Arizona)
Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of Nanomaterials in Aquatic Species
Full Paper

Jingyuan studied toxicity and bioaccumulation of nanoparticles, especially in aquatic environments. Nanoparticles, used in products ranging from stain-free clothing to sunscreens and cosmetics, have undergone accute toxixity testing, but not many long-term exposure tests have been done. This project investigated the effects of nano-scale zinc oxide (ZnO) and carbon fullerenes (C60) on Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, green alga, and Daphnia magna, water fleas. Three different toxicity tests were conducted: two toxicology tests in which particles were directly introduced in the environments of C. reinhardtii and D. magna and a third test for bioaccumulation of nanoparticles from the alga to the Daphnia. The effects of nanoparticles were greatest in the long-term.

2006: Emily Brownlee (Maryland)
A Tale of Two Oysters: The Chesapeake Bay Native and the Non-Native Oysters and the Effects of an Increasing Water Quality Problem, Algal Blooms
Full Paper

With the decline of the native oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in the Chesapeake Bay due to disease, over-harvesting, and loss of habitat, ways to increase oyster production are of great interest. Emily studied the possibility of introduction of a new species of oyster, Crassostrea ariakensis, the Asian or suminoe oyster, to the Chesapeake Bay, and the effect of phytoplankton blooms on the growth of spat of this oyster. Algal bloom events have long been recognized in the Bay, but are increasing, symptomatic of poor water quality. High susceptibility of both oysters to the ichthyotoxic bloom species Karlodinium in their first weeks of growth indicates potential major problems for the bivalves in the system as long as the Bay's water quality remains poor.


2005: Kathryn VanderWeele (Oregon)
Removal of Arsenic from Drinking Water by Water Hyacinths
Full Paper

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Kathryn studied the phytoremediation of arsenic by water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes). Arsenic poisoning from naturally occurring arsenic in drinking water is a serious problem, affecting the health of up to fifty million people worldwide. Drinking arsenic tainted water daily eventually leads to death. Arsenic poisoning is an important issue in Bangladesh, where at least thirty percent of water wells have an arsenic level above the drinking water standard. Kathryn sought to determine for how long the same water hyacinths could be used effectively to reduce arsenic concentrations, and to determine where these plants store the arsenic. Her project demonstrated that water hyacinths are capable of substantially reducing arsenic level to the Bangladeshi drinking water standard (50 ppb) for two treatment periods.

2004: Brandon Fimple (Oklahoma)
The Environmental Impact of Aluminum Sulfate and Salicylic Acid Treated Poultry Litters on Forage Production and Watersheds

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2003: Heather Mispagel (Georgia)
Antibiotic Resistance from Sewage Oxidation Ponds

2002 International Winner: Katherine F. Holt  (Virginia)
Cleaning the Chesapeake Bay with Oysters

2001: Brenda Goguen (Virginia)
Molecular Characterization of Potential Fish Pathogens in Waters Where Reported Pfiesteria piscicida Outbreaks Have Occurred

2000 International Winner: Ashley Mulroy (West Virginia)
Correlating Residual Antibiotic Contamination in Public Water to the Drug-Resistance of Escherichia coli

1999: Kelly Serocki, formerly Kelly Schmiedt (Minnesota)
Chemical and Biological Analysis of Pike Creek 1998

1998 International Runner-Up: Brett De Poister (Pennsylvania)
Effects of Zinc, a Heavy Metal, and Diazinon, a Common Pesticide, on the Embryonic Development of the African Clawed Frog

1997 International Winner: Stephen Alexander Tinnin (Texas)
Changes in Development, Sperm Activity, and Reproduction in Lytechinus variegatus Gametes Exposed to Pesticides