As a science instructional coach at Hempstead High School in New York, Cynthia Partee assists teachers with classroom planning. A former chemistry teacher, Cynthia Partee maintains membership in the American Chemical Society (ACS).
Chartered by Congress after its founding in 1876, the ACS has more than 150,000 members worldwide and holds annual meetings to discuss research innovations. At its March 2022 convention, one group of high school students and their science teacher unveiled a new, inexpensive device that identifies and filters out lead in tap water. Noting that many Americans, especially those in low-income neighborhoods, are still exposed to lead contamination in drinking water, educator Rebecca Bushway challenged her students to create a low-cost solution.
Working from their homes, participants came up with a faucet attachment with a three-inch-tall filter casing. The filter contains two powders: calcium phosphate and potassium iodide. The first chemical combines with lead, which is then stored in the filter and not consumed. The excess calcium produced is harmless.
When the calcium phosphate has reached its capacity for removing lead, the potassium iodide turns the water yellow as a contamination warning. The students later enhanced the device by using hexagonal bevels to prevent the calcium phosphate from clumping. They also installed a backup sensor that indicates the presence of lead before the color change becomes visible.
Chartered by Congress after its founding in 1876, the ACS has more than 150,000 members worldwide and holds annual meetings to discuss research innovations. At its March 2022 convention, one group of high school students and their science teacher unveiled a new, inexpensive device that identifies and filters out lead in tap water. Noting that many Americans, especially those in low-income neighborhoods, are still exposed to lead contamination in drinking water, educator Rebecca Bushway challenged her students to create a low-cost solution.
Working from their homes, participants came up with a faucet attachment with a three-inch-tall filter casing. The filter contains two powders: calcium phosphate and potassium iodide. The first chemical combines with lead, which is then stored in the filter and not consumed. The excess calcium produced is harmless.
When the calcium phosphate has reached its capacity for removing lead, the potassium iodide turns the water yellow as a contamination warning. The students later enhanced the device by using hexagonal bevels to prevent the calcium phosphate from clumping. They also installed a backup sensor that indicates the presence of lead before the color change becomes visible.
