A GROUP of chemistry students from the University of the Philippines Visayas was among the finalists of the BPI-Department of Science and Technology Innovation Awards 2022.

The team’s innovation project, dubbed as “Carbon Quantum Dots as Innovative Materials for Detection and Removal of Selected Aquatic Pollutants,” was done by Steve Turita, Lorraine Ann Mana-ay and Maridel Somejo.

“The project proposal aims to develop and apply Carbon Quantum Dots (CQDs) as photocatalysts for the degradation of malachite green, a harmful yet widely-used synthetic dye as an antiparasitic agent in Philippine aquaculture,” UPV said.

“It also plans to develop CQDs as nanoprobes for the detection of lead (Pb+), a heavy metal contaminant, in an aqueous solution. These specific pollutants affect not only the aquatic environment but also potable water quality,” it added.

The project is under the mentorship of Dr. Concepcion Ponce and Asst. Prof. Arnold Gaje of the UPV Department of Chemistry.

The team is one of the eight teams that will attend a technical and business workshop in preparation for their final presentation.

Other finalists were teams from the Ateneo de Manila University, Mariano Marcos State University, Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology, Philippine Normal University, St. Louis University, University of San Carlos and the University of Santo Tomas.

Three outstanding teams from the eight will receive the BPI-DOST Innovation Award and a cash prize of P100,000 each.

The BPI–DOST Innovation Awards, in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute, is a competition that challenges Filipino students of Basic and Applied Sciences to actively participate in resolving the country’s most pressing socio-economic problems.