A team of six students from City Montessori School Gomti Nagar Extension Lucknow in India won the Best in South Asia and Sustainability Award for their investigation into generating sustainable energy from soil.
Mohd Shayan Siddiqui, Aadwik Sinha, Syed Azhaan Hasan, Aarini Srivastava, Sharanya Vats and Noora Enayati evaluated the physicochemical properties and microbial composition of contaminated soil near the Gomti River to develop a sustainable microbial fuel cell (MFC) system that could generate bioelectricity. MFCs harness electrical output generated by the respiration of microbes via electrodes sunk into environments where those microbes thrive – in this case soil.
The team took soil samples from six different sites along the Gomti River. Creating a solution, they conducted tests to find pH level and total dissolved solids (which indicates the types of minerals, salts and metals present). The students then used the solutions in their home-made MFC. They found that soil that was moderately contaminated and had balanced pH and higher dissolved solids supported greater microbial growth and enhanced voltage generation.
Reflecting on their win, the team said: 'What made this experience most rewarding was the way science connected us to the world around us. We learned to work collaboratively, question critically, and think creatively, constantly improving our model through trials, failures, and new ideas. We were inspired by the possibility that a simple innovation could serve as both a clean energy source and a solution for environmental restoration.'
The judge’s said: 'The investigation was strong in every aspect. It was notable for its rigour, with 6 soil types being tested. Overall, this investigation explored an exciting future technology.'