“We have been working for many years with different matrices to find solutions for the removal of heavy metals in various water bodies. In this case, we came up with the idea of working with Sacha Inchi and involving undergraduate students so they could develop their thesis projects around this type of initiative. As a result, we obtained extremely significant removal rates of lead from contaminated water, and the bioadsorbent also shows applications for other heavy metals such as chromium, cadmium, and mercury,” stated Professor José Antonio Gallo Corredor, researcher in the Department of Chemistry, coordinator of the Environmental Analytical Chemistry Research Group, and thesis advisor of Duván Pete.

Finally, Duvan Arley and Professor José Antonio express their gratitude to the Department of Chemistry, the Faculty of Natural, Exact and Educational Sciences, and the Research Vice-Rectory of this academic institution for providing financial support for travel and registration to attend the event. Likewise, the award-winning student calls for the promotion of science and encourages others to engage in research, as “it is very important for these new generations to seek ways to positively impact the environment, which is currently the most pressing issue we are facing.”

As a University, we join this call directed at every member of our student community, for through research we can foster powerful exchanges of knowledge, build connections with professionals, and gain internationalization experiences while contributing to the protection, development, and progress of our region. Congratulations to these talented Unicaucanos!