NSF Award
2132626
The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is mitigate the effects of harmful algae blooms (HABs), which are a threat to human and wildlife health and result in significant financial loss in areas such as recreational and commercial fishing operations. Increasing global temperatures and continued use of nutrient-rich fertilizers are likely to exacerbate HAB concerns in the future. The approach developed here to address these toxic blooms may reduce the likelihood of health-related problems associated with HABs by rapidly eliminating surface blooms via an electrochemical oxidation technology. Environmental consulting and remediation companies represent the likely first customers for the technology while municipalities and lake associations are important stakeholders. Through this project, potential customers, partners, and stakeholders will be engaged to understand how HABs are currently managed, how environmental remediation companies engage their customers, and how the supply chain for environmental remediation equipment is structured.<br/><br/>This I-Corps project develops a harmful algae bloom (HAB) mitigation technology for treating transient HABs. The temporal occurrence of HABs causes extra challenges for HAB mitigation as traditional efforts involve the use of hydrogen peroxide, aeration for biostimulation, or algae harvesting processes, all of which require the use of pesticide permits which are site and time specific. The developed technology is based on electrochemical oxidation (EO) techniques that rapidly remove algae and cyano toxins without the addition of chemicals. Thus, no pesticide permits are required, allowing for rapid deployment of the technology to mitigate a HAB before it causes beach closures. The process consists of a power supply, a generator, and a set of electrodes with specialized electrode coatings. The unique electrode composition results in a significant energy savings compared to traditional EO processes.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
