Washington: Indian-American Prasun
Chatterjee, whose research has contributed to a new way of
detecting toxic lead and copper in water, has been chosen to
receive one of the highest research honours bestowed on
graduate students in the field of environmental chemistry.
Chatterjee will receive the 2010 C. Ellen Gonter
Environmental Chemistry Award from the American Chemical
Society's (ACS) Environmental Chemistry Division when ACS
holds its fall national meeting in Boston this August, the
University of Lehigh said in a statement.
Chartered by the US Congress, ACS has more than
160,000 members and is the world's largest scientific society
and the premier international organisation for chemists,
chemical engineers and related professions.
The Gonter award is given to a graduate student for an
outstanding research paper.
A Ph.D. candidate in environmental engineering in the
department of civil and environmental engineering, Chatterjee
will deliver the invited Gonter lecture, 'Rapid Detection of
Toxic Metals in Water through pH Changes Using a Novel Hybrid
Material.'
The University said, Chatterjee's doctoral research
has led to the development and synthesis of an inexpensive
inorganic material that can detect toxic lead or copper in
water at the parts-per-billion level by using a pH meter or pH
paper.
Chatterjee is also co-inventor of a technology called
"Rapid Sensing of Toxic Metals through Use of Hybrid Inorganic
Materials," for which a US patent has been applied.
Students in Lehigh's freshman engineering projects
classes use hybrid inorganic materials to make easy-to-use
gadgets that detect toxins in drinking water.
He received his B.S and M.S. in chemical engineering
from Jadavpur University and is hoping to complete his Ph.D.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, April 07, 2010, 23:59