NSF Award
1113110
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project from Symbios Technologies LLC advances a<br/>novel plasma reactor method to oxidize organic matter in untreated water. This method has further potential to<br/>destroy harmful substances such as pesticides, pathogens, and some inorganics. A provisional patent covering this<br/>technology has been filed with the U.S. Patent office. In earlier research, a proof-of-concept batch apparatus<br/>demonstrated that this reactor could destroy selected organic compounds and pathogens. However, this early<br/>version could not be economically scaled up nor run in a continuous mode. This Phase I project will build a new<br/>apparatus design at a laboratory scale, capable of treating water continuously. Studies will then be conducted to<br/>verify the effectiveness of the new reactor design, and to investigate the mechanisms and kinetics of the<br/>degradation of a selected organic compound.<br/>The broader/commercial impacts of this research are: an economical and effective method to treat raw<br/>water, input water, industrial wastewater, and contaminated potable water; and potential portability to desired<br/>locations. There are several ongoing incidences of waterborne diseases in many parts of the world and economical<br/>options for on-site treatment are limited. Our analytical projections indicate that it would be feasible to treat large<br/>quantities of untreated water economically on a commercial scale using a portable system. Furthermore, this<br/>apparatus would be compatible with renewable energy sources and with extended applications to remote sites, such<br/>as military bases and disaster relief operations.
