SBIR Phase II: Effective Treatment of Groundwater Pollution Using a System Utilizing Controlled Release Polymer Materials

这一小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将试点现场测试控制释放聚合物(CRPS)作为原位化学氧化(ISCO)修复材料。通过氧化剂有效载荷的受控时间释放，CRPS技术在更长的时间内处理受污染的水，消除污染物反弹的发生，从而总体上缩短清理时间和总成本。ISCO是次表层污染物修复技术中发展最快的领域。目前商用的Isco部署方法使用液体氧化剂作为试剂，具有短期反应性(天)。为了解决污染物反弹问题，这些注射制剂需要昂贵的重新注射。该项目将产生一种对环境无害的新产品，并通过一次应用在延长的治疗期(数月至数年)内实现氧化剂的持续释放。CRP是一项新技术，为14亿美元的化学处理补救市场提供了高度可调的补救修正案。最终，基于CRPS的治疗将减少暴露在已知导致许多人类健康疾病的地下水污染物中。该第二阶段研究项目的技术目标将是现场测试CRPS专利控制释放聚合物技术，用于受污染地下水的原位化学氧化。为了支持现场测试，将为第一阶段确定的初步最低可行产品制定试生产规模的生产工艺。可制造性将从产品质量和稳定性、生产能力和成本方面进行测试。以多种氧化剂为基础的CRPS配方将用于解决各种环境污染物，包括氯化溶剂、BTEX(苯/甲苯/乙苯/二甲苯)、PAH(多环芳烃)、MTBE(甲基叔丁基醚)和石油碳氢化合物。CRPS将在土壤和地下水受到影响的两个现场进行试点测试。将测量氧化剂输送和污染物降解的速度和持续时间。特别是，试点现场测试将评估CRPS消除篮板的能力。将使用现场数据和计算建模来创建补救设计工具，以规定未来的CRP剂量部署战略。总体而言，这一第二阶段计划将导致对CRPS技术的现场表现有一个清晰的了解，以指导未来的全面部署和市场升级。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will pilot field test controlled release polymers (CRPs) as an in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) remediation material. With a controlled time release of the oxidant payload, the CRPs technology treats contaminated water over longer periods eliminating the occurrence of contaminant rebound resulting in overall shorter cleanup time and total cost. ISCO is the fastest growing field among sub surface contaminant remediation technologies. Current commercial ISCO deployment methods utilize liquid oxidants as reagents which possess short term reactivity (days). To address contaminant rebounding, these injectable formulations require costly re-injections. This project would result in a novel product that is environmentally benign and achieves sustained release of oxidative agents over extended treatment periods (months to years) with a single application. CRPs are a novel technology, offering a highly tunable remediation amendment for the $1.4B Chemical Treatment Remediation Market. Ultimately, CRPs based treatments will decrease exposure to groundwater contaminants known to cause many human health disorders.The technical objectives in this Phase II research project will be to field test CRPs patented, controlled release polymer technology for in situ chemical oxidation of contaminated groundwater. To support field testing, a pilot scale manufacturing process for the initial minimum viable product established in Phase I will be developed. Manufacturability will be tested in terms of product quality and stability, throughput, and cost. CRPs formulations based on multiple oxidants, will be manufactured to address a broad range of environmental contaminants including chlorinated solvents, BTEX (benzene/toluene/ethylbenzene/xylene), PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether), and petroleum hydrocarbons. CRPs will be pilot tested at two field sites with impacted soil and groundwater. The rate and duration of oxidant delivery and contaminant degradation will be measured. In particular, pilot field testing will assess the ability of CRPs to eliminate rebounding. Field data and computation modeling will be used to create a remediation design tool to prescribe future CRP dosing deployment strategies. Collectively, this Phase II program will result in a clear understanding of in-field performance of the CRPs technology to guide future full scale deployment and market uptake.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.