gr.euronews.com
Teenagers' Water Purification Innovation Wins Earthshot Prize
18-year-old Thomas Cermak and 19-year-old Ana Podmanicka won the 2025 Earthshot Prize for their water purification device, PURA, which combines cold atmospheric plasma and photocatalysis to remove pollutants and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They are the first from Czechia or Slovakia to win the prize and received $100,000 to develop a larger prototype.
- What are the potential long-term impacts of PURA on global water quality and public health?
- The success of PURA could revolutionize water purification, particularly in addressing antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater. Scaling up the technology for wastewater treatment plants could mitigate the global threat of antibiotic resistance, projected to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050. The team aims to expand PURA's capacity from liters to tens of liters, with eventual application in larger treatment facilities.
- How does the PURA device address the problem of antibiotic resistance in European water supplies?
- PURA addresses the significant issue of water contamination in Europe, where less than 40% of groundwater is healthy due to chemical pollutants like heavy metals, PFAS, and pharmaceuticals. Conventional water treatment struggles to remove these, while PURA's dual approach offers a potential solution. The $100,000 prize money will fund the development of a larger prototype.
- What is the significance of two teenagers winning the Earthshot Prize for their water purification innovation?
- Two teenagers, Thomas Cermak (18) from Czechia and Ana Podmanicka (19) from Slovakia, won the 2025 Earthshot Prize for their water purification device, PURA. Their innovation combines cold atmospheric plasma and photocatalysis to effectively remove pollutants and antibiotic-resistant bacteria from water. This is the first time either country has won the prize.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The narrative heavily emphasizes the success of the young inventors and the innovative aspects of their device. The headline and introduction immediately highlight their achievement, potentially overshadowing the broader context of water contamination and the need for multiple solutions. This framing might lead readers to overestimate the impact of the PURA device relative to the overall problem.
Language Bias
The language used is largely neutral and objective. While there is celebratory language describing the invention and its creators, this is appropriate given the context of a positive news story. There is no use of loaded language or inflammatory terms.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the PURA device and its creators, but omits discussion of other potential solutions or technologies addressing water contamination. While it mentions conventional water treatment limitations, it doesn't explore alternative approaches in detail. This omission might lead readers to believe the PURA device is the only viable solution, neglecting the potential of other technologies.
False Dichotomy
The article implicitly presents the PURA device as a solution to the complex problem of water contamination without fully acknowledging the multifaceted nature of the issue or alternative approaches. While it mentions limitations of existing methods, it doesn't thoroughly explore the range of challenges or solutions.
Sustainable Development Goals
The innovation by Thomas Cermak and Ana Podmanicka directly addresses SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by developing a device that filters water, removing pollutants and contaminants. This addresses the issue of water pollution and lack of access to safe drinking water, a key challenge highlighted in the article. The technology is designed to tackle antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which are a growing global health concern, further strengthening its alignment with SDG 6.