Published: Mar 13, 2017 | 09:00 AM

Science Fair Projects Chosen for Honors

Four students who participated in the Irvine Unified School District’s science fair on February 28 were selected for honors by Irvine Ranch Water District for their water-related science fair projects.

IRWD has been involved in the science fair since its inception more than 30 years ago. District professionals have assisted, whether it’s advising during Ask-a-Scientist Night, or judging the water-related science fair projects.

Of the several hundred entries, more than 30 were water-related. Some examined various methods of desalination, some examined irrigation controllers and others conducted experiments on removing certain constituents from water.

The students will be honored at the June 12 IRWD Board of Directors meeting. Judging this year were David Cole and Jessica Tron of the IRWD Water Quality Laboratory, assisted by Melinda Bergen, supervisor in the chemistry section of the lab.

Students whose projects were selected are:

• Aurnon Chattopadhay, University High School, “Efficient Removal of Pb, Cd, and Ud from Water”
• Ainesh Arumugan, grade 10, University High School, “Smart Irrigation Controller” (this is Ainesh’s second consecutive year as a winner)
• Sabreen Alam, grade 7, Jeffrey Trail Middle School, “Mediated vs. Unmediated Microbal Fuel Cells”
• Aditi Mundra, grade 6, Canyon View Elementary School, “Solar Desalination-Does Temperature vs. Time of Day Affect the Amount of h20 Purified?”

For more information on the IRWD educational programs, please visit our website.