The next generation of scientists and inventors is already finding approaches to address society’s problems. A group of high school students and their instructor report a solution to the problem of lead (铅) pollution in drinking water — an inexpensive faucet (水龙头) attachment that removes this poisonous metal. Unlike conventional filters currently on the market, theirs includes a container made of eco-friendly plastic and indicates when it’s “used up” by turning the tap water yellow.
“A few years ago, I saw a video of a woman in Michigan turn on her tap water, and it came out brown.” says Rebecca Bushway, the project’s principal investigator. “That made me think — because there’s really no safe level of lead in drinking water, wouldn’t it be nice to have a water filter that could tell you your water is polluted, well before it turns brown because of lead?”
Bushway, as a science teacher, wondered aloud to her chemistry class if there was a little filter that they could make from inexpensive components to easily remove lead. The students were excited about the idea, and they started thinking about the project in 2020.
The students discussed designs for an attachment to screw (用螺丝固定) a filter onto a sink’s faucet. Then in the spring semester of 2021, they 3D printed the attachment and a 3-inch-tall filter housing, using eco-friendly plastic. They filled the containers with some chemical powder. Next, the students added a tiny spectrophotometer (分光光度计) with a single-wavelength LED to the bottom of the filter container. They installed an indicator light that turns on as soon as the detector identifies the yellow color of the lead iodide (碘化铅).
The team’s goal is to make and sell their filters for less than $1 each. Because the housings use eco-friendly plastic, the cost could trend a little higher, but the material would help reduce the overall environmental impact of the filter.
The process of developing the filter has been very fulfilling. “Ultimately, this experience has shown students they can make a difference to somebody, and that there are problems they can fix with science,” said Bushway.
【小题1】What shows that the filter is running out according to the text?| A．The change of the water’s color. | B．The change of the filter housing’s color. |
| C．The times of the filter being used. | D．The flash of the indicator light. |
| A．Her personal experience in Michigan. | B．The unsafe water used by a woman. |
| C．A lack of safe drinking water. | D．The experiments carried out in her class. |
| A．Chemical powder reacts with the lead in the water. |
| B．A detector is fixed to identify the lead iodide. |
| C．The students have developed eco-friendly plastic. |
| D．The filter has an advantage over others in price. |
| A．To advertise a product to remove lead to readers. |
| B．To highlight the hardships the inventors encounter. |
| C．To praise the young for shouldering responsibilities. |
| D．To stress the importance of environmental protection. |
