This 13-year-old found a way to remove pesticides using discarded peanut shells

Thirteen-year-old Arika Kundu created LIGNEX to remove pesticides from food using discarded peanut shells. Her project earned a spot as a 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalist. Arika said she entered the competition to "turn it into a product that everyone can benefit from." Her simple tablets showed great results.