Teen finds way to make saltwater drinkable

PORTLAND, OR — The research of an Indian American student in Portland, Oregon, which has discovered a cheaper and easier method to turn salt water into drinkable fresh water, has caught the attention of major technology firms and universities.

Chaitanya Karamchedu is turning heads across the country because of a science experiment that began in his high school classroom.

The Jesuit High School senior now has big plans of changing the world.

"The best access for water is the sea, so 70 percent of the planet is covered in water and almost all of that is the ocean, but the problem is that it is salt water," said Karamchedu.

Karamchedu figured it out, on his own, in a high school lab.

"The real genesis of the idea was realizing that sea water is not fully saturated with salt," he was quoted as saying.

By experimenting with a highly absorbent polymer, the teen discovered a cost-effective way to remove salt from ocean water and turn it into fresh water.

"It’s not bonding with water molecules, it’s bonding to the salt," said Karamchedu.

Scientists across the country are taking note. He won a $10,000 award from the US Agency for International Global Development at Intel’s International Science Fair and second place at MIT’s TechCon Conference where he won more money to continue his research.

In January, Karamchedu was also named one of 300 Regeneron Science Talent Search semifinalists, one of the most prestigious competitions in the country for high school seniors.