STTR Phase I: Safe Disinfection and Oxygen-Level Enrichment in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) Using Singlet Oxygen

该STTR第一阶段项目的更广泛影响是解决循环水产养殖系统（RAS）消毒中的关键健康，安全，成本和能源挑战。以目前的畜牧业技术无法在不产生过量温室气体排放的情况下大规模种植高质量蛋白质。密集RAS技术提供了一种可行的替代方案，因为它们能够在对环境影响最小的情况下生产高质量的蛋白质。 保护鱼类的健康是限制这一行业更快增长的关键因素之一。 该项目将大规模提高粮食生产。此外，该技术还可以应用于饮用水。STTR第一阶段项目将通过使用持久、低成本的方法产生单线态氧（分子氧的激发态形式），推进循环水产养殖系统（RAS）中安全、低能耗的细菌消毒技术。 臭氧和紫外线是养鱼业的主要消毒剂，但它们价格昂贵，耗能高，对鱼类和人员有毒;这推动了安全、低能耗消毒的发展。 单线态氧是一种对病原体致命而对鱼类和人类无害的强力消毒剂。该项目的主要创新是可以高效率地产生单线态氧，而不会污染水，因为它不是持久性的。该项目将进行工程研究，作为反应物和产物的化学结构和质量传输的函数。 将开发详细的模型，以确定消毒系统的适当尺寸，并了解单线态氧和病原体之间的相互作用。 这些模型将是第一个耦合传输现象与吸收/解吸动力学在这种配置的RAS。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

The broader impact of this STTR Phase I project is to address critical health, safety, cost and energy challenges in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) disinfection. Growing high quality protein at larger scales cannot be done with current animal husbandry techniques without generating excessive greenhouse gas emissions. Intensive RAS technologies offer a viable alternative because they are capable of producing high quality protein with minimal impact on the environment. Protecting the health of the fish is one of the key limitations to a more rapid growth of this industry. This project will improve food production at scale. Furthermore, the proposed technology may be applied to drinking water.This STTR Phase I project will advance a technology for safe and low-energy bacteria disinfection in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) by using a durable, low-cost method to generate singlet oxygen, an excited-state form of molecular oxygen. Ozone and ultraviolet light are mainstay disinfectants in the fish farm industry, but they are expensive, energy-intensive and can be toxic to fish and personnel; motivating advances in safe, low-energy disinfection. Singlet oxygen is a powerful disinfecting agent lethal to pathogens and harmless to fish and humans. The primary innovation of this project allows singlet oxygen to be generated at high efficiency without contaminating the water as it is not persistent. This project will conduct engineering studies as a function of both chemical structure and mass transport of reactants and products. Detailed models will be developed to determine the appropriate dimensions of the disinfection system as well as understand the interactions between singlet oxygen and pathogens. These models will be the first to couple transport phenomena with absorption/desorption kinetics in this configuration for RAS.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.