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*A high school student from the US was awarded the prestigious 2008 Stockholm Junior Water Prize in a formal ceremony in Stockholm during World Water Week. *

Joyce Chai won the prize for discovering the potential toxicity of silver nanoparticles, which have been used as a sanitisation product in the water cooler industry.

She received the prize from Crown Princess Victoria on behalf of the Stockholm Water Foundation.

Chai's project, entitled "Modelling the Toxic Effects of Silver Nanoparticles under Varying Environmental Conditions" won the 2008 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for exploring this new category of micropollutants, now used in industry for a variety of purposes.

Silver nanoparticles, known for their ability to fight bacteria, are incorporated into items such as bandages, clothing, cosmetics, car wax, and toys.

When these items are laundered or discarded, silver nanoparticles are released into the environment, including water bodies, with little knowledge of their fate and potential toxicity.

Chai's scientific research takes steps towards understanding and quantifying the potential environmental consequences and risks of using silver nanoparticles. This study repudiates the assertion that silver nanoparticles are more reliable and less environmentally hazardous than silver ions. The research questions the reliability of their use in consumer products.

The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is presented each year to high-school age students for outstanding water-related projects that focus on topics of environmental, scientific, social or technological importance.