12-YEAR-OLD NIGERIAN-AMERICAN STUDENT DESIGNS LOW-COST AIR FILTER SYSTEM

Having the proper air filtration system can be the difference between protecting and not protecting those who are the most vulnerable from airborne diseases. Eniola Shokunbi, a 12-year-old Nigerian-American from Connecticut, saw a need to address this crucial public health problem and has designed a low-cost air filter system to combat airborne diseases in schools. The fifth grade student’s invention is particularly aimed at enhancing classroom safety during pandemics, such as the COVID-19 outbreak. Shokunbi, a student at Commodore MacDonough STEM Academy in Middletown, was inspired to develop the air filter as part of a school project which focused on finding solutions to ensure school safety during potential future health crises. Shokunbi’s design is both simple and effective. The filter system is built using a combination of affordable materials: a box fan, four furnace filters, duct tape, and cardboard. This results in a production cost of about $60 per unit, making it a highly cost-effective alternative to commercial air purifiers. The filter works by drawing air through the sides of the box and expelling it from the top after it has been cleaned. “The air goes through all the sides, and it comes out of the top,” Shokunbi explained in...