| Biography |
|---|
| Hi there! My name is Yimeng Li, and I am a grade 10 student attending Sir Winston Churchill Secondary in Vancouver BC. I have always held a strong passion for all aspects of science, especially electrical engineering. This year, I became inspired to study thermodynamics after exposure to a physics lab. At the same time, I was reading an article about an imminent metal shortage problem. It is estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that a child born today will use approximately 1,309 pounds of copper ore in its lifetime. Consequently, metals, as a finite resource are being consumed at an alarming rate. In my project, I combined many aspects of chemistry, thermodynamics, and microbiology. My goal was to develop a system capable of selectively capturing and purifying copper from any source of wastewater. By using microorganisms to drive this system, I was also able to eliminate the need of any electricity. I hope that one day, this system can help the effort in lessening our dependence on unsustainable copper mining. |
| Yimeng Li
Developing a Novel Bacterial-Induced Cu(II) Crystallization Method
| Challenge: | Resources | | Category: | Intermediate | | Region: | Greater Vancouver | | City: | Vancouver, BC | | School: | Sir Winston Churchill Secondary | | Abstract: | Copper is an essential, finite resource which is being consumed at an alarming rate. Many copper wastes are never recycled, and end up in the environment. In this project, a novel recovery system was developed to selectively re-crystallize and purify dissolved copper ions from any source of contaminated wastewater. Through the interdisciplinary combination of microbiology and thermodynamics, it was possible to achieve recovery without electricity. |
| Awards | Value | Excellence Award - Intermediate
Silver Medal
Sponsor: Youth Science Canada | | Western University Scholarship
Silver Medallist - $2000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Western University | $2 000.00 | | Total | $2 000.00 | |
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