Minnesota teen named 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalist for unique pesticide removal invention

A 13-year-old Minnesota student is one of 10 finalists in the nation's premier middle school science competition after inventing a sustainable way to remove harmful chemicals from fruits and vegetables using peanut shells.

Arika Kundu was named a top 10 finalist in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a national competition that encourages middle school students to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.

"I wake up every day and think, 'Whoa, I'm a top 10 finalist,'" Kundu said.

Working out of a laboratory in her family's garage, Kundu set out to tackle a growing global health concern: pesticide exposure.

"We are chronically being exposed to these pesticides, and as they build up in our body, they can cause horrible health effects like cancers and neurological damage," she said.

Her invention is called Lignex and her test results showed that it removed 93.94% of the model contaminant.

Kundu said the idea came after reading research showing peanut shells can absorb toxins while also learning more about the widespread presence of pesticides.

"I wanted to utilize this agricultural byproduct that's normally wasted to solve these problems in everyone's daily lives," she said.

The tablet is designed to be placed in water with fruits and vegetables before they're eaten. As it dissolves, it releases natural cleaning agents that remove pesticides from the food. The tablet then reabsorbs those pesticides, preventing them from going down the drain.

"You have clean, pesticide-free food," Kundu said.

Developing Lignex took roughly eight months of research and experimentation.

"There really wasn't anything on the market that, in a sustainable way, could remove those pesticides right when you eat them," she said.

Now, Kundu is competing for the title of America's Top Young Scientist.

"It was just so exciting, and it's still super fun every day this summer working on Lignex," she said. "It would mean a lot being America's Top Young Scientist. I've been working for this. This is like a dream."

Looking ahead, Kundu hopes to pursue a career in astrobiology, combining scientific discovery with solving challenges on Earth.

"I want to help people on Earth with stuff that we can discover from other universes and other worlds," she said.