Meet Nithya Tammana, 11, who built a $38 moss filter to remove lead from water

When Nithya Tammana learned that lead could enter drinking water through old pipes and plumbing fixtures, she did not treat the problem as someone else’s responsibility. The New Jersey student began researching affordable ways to make contaminated water safer, eventually focusing on a humble material often found growing on rocks, trees and damp ground: moss. Her invention, a low cost moss based filtration system priced at under $38, is designed to remove up to 95 percent of lead from water in testing. The project has earned recognition through Action for Nature’s Eco-Hero programme, which celebrates young people tackling environmental challenges with practical ideas. As described by Action for Nature, Nithya’s work combines scientific curiosity, environmental awareness and a strong belief that clean drinking water should not depend on expensive technology.Discovering the hidden danger in waterLead contamination is a stealth hazard.