‘Eureka Moment’ at the Kitchen Sink Made Teen Innovate AI Device to Detect Pesticides in Supermarket Produce

While Ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes had his Eureka moment discovering the purity of gold, a 14-year-old boy based in Snellville, Georgia, experienced his in the kitchen sink. Sirish Subhash, a young scientist’s parents had advised him to always wash fresh produce before consumption due to the presence of numerous pesticides used in farming nowadays. This practice urged him to ponder about its efficiency and whether fruits and vegetables were completely washed clean with tap water. And Eureka! Subhash invented a useful device to detect pesticide residuals on the produce which could potentially prevent health hazards prevalent in today’s society, per Goodgoodgood. 

Teenager invents pesticide detector for greater good

What started as a mere thought earned Subhash a major career achievement at the tender age of 14. “My parents always insist that I wash my produce before consuming it,” Subhash said in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio. Wondering about the purpose of washing fresh produce and the potential risks involved, he extensively researched the “clean” factor of produce in grocery stores. Subhash was alarmed to find out that 75% of all fresh produce had residues of harmful pesticides, per a study by the Environmental Working Group in 2024. Therefore, Subhash was determined to do something about the issue and chose this domain as his project for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, an annual contest intended to prepare middle-school students to carve a path in scientific innovations. 

“There’s a significant amount of pesticides entering our diet, but they’ve been linked to a variety of health issues, from Alzheimer's to Parkinson's, even certain cancers,” Subhash said in his video submission for the contest. Moreover, he explored the current methods to detect pesticides in produce dubbed as ‘healthy’ to gain a deeper insight. He understood that the at-home tests in use today are not as feasible and ultimately make the produce unfit for consumption. Hence, he invented the PestiSCAND, a portable pesticide detector that can be used in grocery stores. Essentially, the device utilizes AI machine learning to measure the wavelengths of light reflecting off the product and further analysis of the data. 

Subhash’s mindful invention gets massive recognition

Initially, Subhash was shortlisted as the top nine finalists for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge. However, the expert guidance he received from the training program mentors like Aditya Banerji, a 3M senior research engineer, Subhash had a breakthrough with his invention and also developed an iPhone app for its functioning. “Like many other students, my fundamental passion is science, though I believe a novel idea is like a seed, such that it will only get so far without the proper guidance and cultivation,” he shared explaining his interest in the program. 

Subhash was declared the winner of the 2024 3M Young Scientists Challenge and awarded a $25,000 cash prize. Nevertheless, the most important achievement for the smart teenager is the guidance and inspiration he received from the scientists he got to work with. He acknowledged their wisdom, and how it would help him “define” his educational career. In a decade and a half from now, Subhash aspires to bring forth new innovations that serve the greater purpose of humankind and address issues of climate change.