Three Indian teenagers, Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta, won the Earth Prize 2026 for creating Plas Stick, a biodegradable powder made from waste tamarind seeds that removes microplastics from water. Tamarind seeds contain natural polysaccharides that act like a sticky biological glue. When the powder is added to contaminated water, it attracts tiny plastic particles and causes them to clump together into larger masses. Magnetic particles allow these clumps to be pulled out with a handheld magnet, providing a low cost and environmentally friendly method for cleaner water. Source: “Indian Students Win The Earth Prize for Microplastics Solution.” Mongabay India, 25 May 2026, india.mongabay.com/short-article/indian-students-win-the-earth-prize-for-microplastics-solution Want more interesting content like this ? Follow gravitonomy :) #science #tamarindpowder #microplastics #biology #technology