---
title: "14-Year-Old Invents Pesticide Scanner For Fruits And Vegetables, Named 'America's Top Young Scientist'"
url: "https://www.biohackyourself.com/articles/14-year-old-invents-pesticide-scanner-for-fruits-and-vegetables-named-america-s-top-young-scientis"
author: "Bianca Tan"
published: "2024-10-29"
section: "News"
description: "A 14-year-old's invention could help stop people from consuming pesticide-contaminated produce."
---

# 14-Year-Old Invents Pesticide Scanner For Fruits And Vegetables, Named 'America's Top Young Scientist'

*By Bianca Tan · October 29, 2024 · News*

A 14-year-old's invention could help stop people from consuming pesticide-contaminated produce.

Sirish Subash, a ninth-grader from Snellville, Georgia, won the 2024 3M Young Scientist Challenge for his invention, Pestiscand -- a handheld device that can detect pesticide residues on produce.

Subash's invention uses spectrophotometry, a method that measures how materials interact with light by observing how light wavelengths reflect off a surface. In this case, fruits and vegetables.

A machine learning model analyses the data to determine the presence of pesticide.

During the trial, the Pestiscand had an 85% accuracy in identifying pesticide in spinach and tomatoes.

Exposure to and ingestion of pesticides post [serious harmful effects](https://www.ifm.org/news-insights/pesticides-and-human-health-effects/) on the body. These chemicals are associated with an increase in cancer risk, disruption of metabolic function, and an increased risk of immune and nervous system dysfunction.

Notably, a [2022 study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X22056423) on the presence of pesticide residue in litchis from China showed 70.7% of the samples had residues of 17 pesticides.

"The residues can stay on produce after washing, and that's where they've been connected to a variety of health issues," the student from Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology told [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/10/16/sirish-subash-americas-top-young-scientist-2024/75696722007/).

"If we could detect them, we could avoid consuming them. We could reduce the risk of those health issues."

The competition, presented by 3M and Discovery Education, is a national premier middle school science competition. The final was held at 3M global headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, on October 14 and 15.

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Published by Biohack Yourself Media (https://www.biohackyourself.com). Editorial and educational content, not medical advice.