Cork teen scoops global science award

A Cork teenager who may have discovered a way to remove microplastics from the ocean has won a major award in a global science competition in California.

Fionn Ferreira from Bellydehob took the top prize of $50,000 in the 2019 Google Science Fair, the annual online science competition for students aged between 13 and 18 worldwide.

The 18 year old won for his project 'An investigation into the removal of microplastics from water using ferrofluids', which suggests a novel way to filter microplastics from water by using magnets.

Fionn was one of 24 global finalists chosen from a shortlist of 100 regional entries that competed for the top prize in what is regarded as one of the most prestigious science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) student competitions in the world.

Speaking online about his inspiration for the project, Fionn said: “I live near the seashore and have become increasingly aware of plastic pollution of the oceans. I was alarmed to find out how many microplastics enter our wastewater system and consequently the oceans.”

The results of Fionn’s tests supported his claims that his method would remove 85 per cent or higher of microplastics in sample tests.

Fionn sat his Leaving Cert last month at Schull Community College and is due to attend university in the Netherlands.

Not content with an already busy schedule, he also works as a curator at the Schull Planetarium, has won 12 science fair awards, speaks three languages fluently, plays the trumpet at orchestra level, and has even had a minor planet named after him by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory.