Coleraine’s Saashi is Young Scientist finalist

Her project was chosen from over 2500 entries to compete in the 57th exhibition, which was held virtually for the first time due to the COVID outbreak.

Saashi built a sneeze and cough simulator which allowed her to test the droplet retention of different materials and record them using a slow-motion camera. She also was able to test the ‘breathability’ of different materials by measuring the air resistance using a vane anemometer.

From her experiments and by reading various other studies, Saashi found that most woven materials are not water resistant, meaning that when a mask wearer sneezes or coughs, it is likely that the particles can escape through the mask or from the top and sides and form aerosols, which can linger in the air and put others at risk of contracting the virus.

She then designed a plastic insert, made from vinyl acetate, which costs pennies to produce. Her design contains gill-like vents, which improve the breathability of the overall mask.

She emphasised that the government should have strict guidelines for breathability, filtration and fit for masks and said that her mask insert is a cost-effective and simple method that should be implemented in combination with social distancing.

Saashi would like to thank her teacher, Mrs Reid, and Coleraine Grammar School for their support and encouragement.