Greenwich Students Recognized for Sustainable Project
At 68th Annual Connecticut Science Fair
Energize Connecticut sponsors energy and sustainability categories at state’s largest science competition for middle and high school students
Greenwich area students, Andrew Mellert and William Gorman were honored as finalists for their project, Soil Remediation – Removing Contaminants by Means of Thermal Desorption, at the 68th annual Science and Engineering Fair at Quinnipiac University that was held on Saturday, March 19, 2016.
eesmarts ™, an Energize CT program administered by Eversource and The United Illuminating Company, sponsored the Special Award categories of Alternative/Renewable Energy for middle and high school students; Future Sustainability for high school students; and Sustainable Resources and Practices for middle school students.
Andrew and William’s project was awarded 3rd place in the High School Future Sustainability category. The purpose of their project was to create a small scale, cost efficient apparatus that uses low-heat thermal desorption to remove contaminants from polluted soil. They concluded that the low-temperature desorption process, although seemingly more efficient in both cost and energy, was inconclusive due to the availability of similar high-temperature processes. They received $300 and a trophy for their achievement in the category.
The Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair is open to students in grades 7 through 12 across the state, who compete for more than 600 spots each year. The objective of the fair is to attract young people to careers in the science and engineering industry, while also developing critical thinking skills. The fair is supported by several academic and industrial organizations throughout the state, with funds directed to the awards, operations and various educational activities.