Congratulations to this year’s Student Design Competition Winners! 30 teams represented 18 MAs and 3 countries, making this the largest WEFTEC SDC competition ever. UC Riverside’s Highlander Consultant Group took home third place in the water environment category. Congratulations to Anayely De La Vega, Andreina Mendoza, Jeff Dai, Jessy Gonzalez, and Justin Yanase.
Their project titled: EPA P3 Project: Ammonia Air Scrubber focused on tackling ammonia air pollution from livestock facilities, a significant environmental issue that also impacts water quality. Current ammonia air scrubbers reduce air pollution but consume large amounts of water, leaving it nitrate-rich and requiring treatment. The goal is to design a three-phase ammonia air scrubber that removes up to 99% of ammonia emissions while addressing water conservation. The third phase will include an ion exchange column to capture nitrates, enabling water reclamation and recycling. The project aims to deliver a cost-effective solution for farmers, balancing air pollution reduction and sustainable water use.
Special thanks to the Student Design Competition sponsors and congratulations to both teams that represented California in the competition.
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