UK project to reduce PFAS pollution is awarded Stockholm Junior Water Prize

27.8.2024 23:29:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release

Christopher Whitfield and Wenqi (Jonathan) Zhao from the United Kingdom receive the prestigious Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2024 for their work on PFAS pollution in the Thames Basin. HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden presented the winners with their award during a ceremony at World Water Week in Stockholm.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution is a growing concern worldwide. Focusing on the Thames Basin in the United Kingdom, where there are with no equitable solutions to the problem, Whitfield and Zhao developed a geospatial neural network, predicting PFAS values to within 10 percent of experimentally validated values.

For this, they were announced the winners of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, an international competition where students between the ages of 15 and 20 present solutions to major water challenges.

Speaking on winning the prize, Zhao said, “We are very proud to have won this prize. It has been an amazing stay here in Sweden with so many new friends”.

The Jury noted that Whitfield and Zhao “find a way to take data and turn it into actionable knowledge. [They have] identified PFAS hotspots using machine learning, field tested their results, developed a cost-effective filtration system, and reached out to local governments and environmental organizations to raise awareness.”

The winners were presented with their prize during an award ceremony at World Water Week by HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the Prize’s Official Patron.

The Diploma of Excellence was awarded to Shanni Valeria Mora Fajardo and Rosa Mendoza Sosa from Mexico for their work on how to reuse inked water with homemade filtration to produce veggie gardens.

The People’s Choice Award went to Manoel José Nunes Neto from Brazil, completing the line-up of winners.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize has been organized every year since 1997. It is hosted by the Stockholm Water Foundation, with Xylem as Founding Partner.

“Innovation is paving the way to a more water-secure world, and the next generation are accelerating progress. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize competitors are an inspiring example of the ingenuity and passion young innovators bring to the table. On behalf of Xylem, I’d like to congratulate all those who took part in this year’s competition,” said Austin Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact at Xylem.

Read more about the winning projects:

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240827691002/en/

Contacts

Andreas Karlsson
Head of Communication, Stockholm International Water Institute
Email: andreas.karlsson@siwi.org, Mobile: +46 (0) 720 506078

About Business Wire

For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.

www.businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Tourism Surges in Oulu as European Capital of Culture Year Drives Record Visitor Numbers and Major Exhibitions5.5.2026 15:23:00 EEST | Press release

The year has started strongly in Oulu, Finland, with tourism and cultural attendance rising across sectors. In January–February, total overnight stays increased by more than 20%, while February alone saw a 32% increase, reaching 78,400 stays. International tourism grew by over 40%. At the same time, the opening festival in January attracted around 250,000 visits, highlighting strong interest among both residents and visitors and signalling a promising year for the city’s tourism sector. “The start of the year has clearly shown the power of culture in strengthening tourism and regional vitality,” says Oulu2026 Programme Director Samu Forsblom. “With hundreds of cultural operators across all 39 municipalities involved, this is a unique year to visit our region in northern Finland.” A year of major exhibitions across the city Oulu’s exhibition programme extends beyond traditional museum spaces. Art appears in unexpected places such as a shopping centre, the city hall, a cathedral and in n

Bracco Launches BubbleGen™ Early Access Program for Microbubble-Based Cell Selection and Activation at ISCT5.5.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release

Bracco Imaging,a global pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures, and markets innovative healthcare solutions, unveiled its Early Access Program today to enable cell therapy developers to evaluate the company’s new BubbleGen™ technology for cell therapy. Bracco’s team will be showcasing BubbleGen, which is designed to support a range of streamlined cell therapy manufacturing processes, at the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy (ISCT) 2026 conference held this week in Dublin, Ireland. Through the BubbleGen evaluation kit, academic and industry researchers can explore a new approach to cell separation. The technology uses buoyant microbubbles to isolate specific cells, offering an alternative to traditional magnetic bead-based methods. The initial test case supports CD3+ T cell selection and activation in a format commonly used in commercial CAR T-cell therapies, and the platform is designed to extend beyond standard workflows. Researchers can adapt the system to iso

Fleet Launch Customer NetJets Takes Delivery of First Three Cessna Citation Ascend Midsize Business Jets5.5.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release

Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, achieved a major milestone as the first three Cessna Citation Ascend business jets were delivered to fleet launch customer NetJets. NetJets, which operates the world's largest, most diverse private jet fleet, is the first private fleet operator to take delivery and begin operations with the Cessna Citation Ascend. Setting new standards in performance, comfort and operational efficiency for the midsize business jet market, the Citation Ascend builds on the longstanding relationship between Textron Aviation and NetJets by offering owners a seamless progression of advanced aircraft designed to deliver exceptional reliability, efficiency and luxury. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260505495566/en/ Fleet launch customer NetJets takes delivery of first three Cessna Citation Ascend midsize business jets. (Photo Credit: Textron Aviation) “The Citation Ascend re

ATLAS Infrastructure Cornerstones United Utilities £800m Equity Placement5.5.2026 14:12:00 EEST | Press release

ATLAS Infrastructure (“ATLAS”) is a specialist Global Listed Infrastructure investor managing capital on behalf of its funds and long-term institutional clients. ATLAS has been an investor in UU since 2019 and, following the recent equity placement, ATLAS’s actively managed accounts hold a ~6.6% voting and economic interest in United Utilities plc (“UU”). ATLAS recognises the positive new direction established for the UK water sector and welcomes the opportunity to support UU management’s investment plan which will deliver the critical infrastructure required to support housing and industrial growth across North West England, as well as playing a crucial role in supporting nationally important initiatives related to AI data centres and sustainable energy. ATLAS strongly supports UU’s decision to raise new equity in order to accelerate its investment program through providing significant balance sheet capacity and financial flexibility through to the end of AMP8 in 2030. ATLAS values th

Jeito Capital Bolsters Its Leadership Team With the Appointment of Elaine Caughey, MBA, as Partner, Business Development and Investor Relations, and Sarah Shackelton, MPA, as Partner, Talent5.5.2026 13:37:00 EEST | Press release

Jeito Capital (“Jeito”), a leading global independent private equity fund dedicated to Biopharma, today announces the appointments of Elaine Caughey, MBA, as Partner, Business Development and Investor Relations, and Sarah Shackelton, MPA, as Partner, Talent. With extensive senior leadership experience across top-tier life-sciences investment funds, pharma and Biopharma companies, Elaine Caughey and Sarah Shackelton bring deep expertise in life sciences operations, investment, recruitment, and team building. Their appointments are synergistic and aligned with Jeito’s strategy, combining complementary skills across the full drug value chain to support portfolio company development and advance breakthrough therapies for patients. Building on a series of recent high-profile hires — including Samit Hirawat, M.D. as Strategic Medical Advisor, bringing senior leadership and clinical development experience at Novartis and Bristol Myers Squibb; Karin Van Baelen as Chief Regulatory Advisor, with

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom