ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 14, 2004 -- Brandon Fimple, of Vinita, Oklahoma, has been named the U.S. winner of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize. He will compete in the only international competition to recognize students for excellence in water science research. The student from Vinita High School studied "The Effects of Salicylic Acid Treated Poultry Litter on Forage Production, Run-off Water Phosphate Levels, and Closterium Algae Growth." His research was selected from a pool of over 40 state SJWP winners at the national competition in Denver, Colorado, June 10-12.
The U.S. competition is organized by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and its member associations, with support from ITT Industries and The Coca-Cola Company. ITT Industries is also the international sponsor.
According to Fimple's abstract, eutrophication resulting from phosphate pollution is one of the most costly water quality problems in North America today. Agricultural practices contribute much of the non-point sources of nitrate and phosphate pollution in surface and ground waters. Research to develop ways of reducing phosphate pollution in watersheds is vital due to the increasing number of confined animal feeding operations that produce large quantities of animal waste that must be disposed of in environmentally-sound manner. Fimple's experiment combined three years of research on allelochemicals with a previous study of alum-treated poultry litter in an effort to find an environmentally protective litter treatment with effective algaecide properties. The purpose of his experiment was to evaluate the effects of poultry litter fertilizer treated with salicylic acid on forage production and run-off water phosphate levels and to determine if Closterium algae growth in run-off water was adversely affected.
"Fimple's study was very timely and relevant to issues of immediate concern within the water quality community," said WEF Nomination Chair Dr. Charles Sorber. His research and documentation were well conceived and efficiently executed."
Fimple was awarded $2,500 and an all-expense paid trip to Stockholm where he will compete in August against winners of 28 national competitions for the international honor.
Today's youth are indeed tomorrow's leaders and must be encouraged to pursue water-related careers or risk further erosion of our scarce supply," said Bjorn von Euler, Director of Corporate Communications, ITT Industries. "The Stockholm Junior Water Prize helps meet that objective and is the reason ITT Industries has been a proud sponsor since its inception as an international competition eight years ago."
The winner of the international competition will be chosen based on the quality and relevance of the student's project. HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will bestow the prize on August 20 during a ceremony held in conjunction with the Stockholm Water Symposium. The laureate will receive a $5,000 scholarship and a crystal sculpture.
Three U.S. finalists were also awarded $500 each. They include Balaji Sridhar, Denver, Colorado; Abigail Hines, Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Elizabeth Welsh, Proctor, Minnesota.
For more information, visit www.StockholmJuniorWaterPrize.org.
