Safe & Cost Effective Water Remediation, Enabled by an Online Perchlorate Analyze

描述（由申请人提供）：高氯酸盐，ClO4-，是一种小的高度水溶性阴离子，由地质和人为来源产生。人为来源包括固体火箭燃料、火柴、染料、油漆、安全气囊充气机、烟火、照明弹和化肥。人体接触高氯酸盐令人担忧，因为高氯酸盐可能会损害甲状腺功能，导致一些发育迟缓和其他医疗问题。大多数修复项目依赖于离子交换树脂床反应器，当第一个树脂床失去捕获高氯酸盐的能力，即其耗尽限制时，作为故障安全措施串联运行。树脂床和树脂是修复过程中最大的成本项目。如果能开发出一种在线监测设备，在床位达到耗尽极限时向操作员发出警告，那么补救措施就能更经济有效地运作，并提高公共安全。在我们成功的第一阶段工作中，Advanced MicroLab, LLC （AML）与科罗拉多州立大学的Henry教授小组合作，将一个原理验证实验室实验转化为高氯酸盐在线分析的概念验证商业原型。我们的原型与我们的合作者应用研究协会（ARA）在一个补救试点工厂进行了现场测试。检测修复后的水，高氯酸盐对干扰离子的基线溶解< 15 g/L的检测限（LOD）。基于信噪比，我们的设备在并排比较中与金标准离线离子色谱相匹配，如果不是优于黄金标准的话。此外，我们还展示了除高氯酸盐以外的其他离子（如硝酸盐）的分辨率和可重复性检测。在拟议的第二阶段工作中，将把概念验证原型转化为接近商业的演示单元，以满足在线修复处理的最终用户规范。我们将开发一个配套的现场便携式原型，用于现场水源现场分析。我们还将对同一水样中的硝酸盐和高氯酸盐进行配套分析。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Perchlorate, ClO4-, is a small highly water soluble anion created by both geogenic and anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic sources include solid rocket fuel, matches, dyes, paints, airbag inflators, pyrotechnics, flares, and fertilizers. Human exposure to perchlorate is of concern because of the potential for impaired thyroid function, leading to a number of developmental delays and other medical problems. Most remediation projects rely on ion exchange resin bed reactors that operate in series as a fail-safe measure for when the first resin bed loses its ability to capture perchlorate, namely, its exhaustion-limit. Resin beds and resins are the largest cost item in the remediation process. If an online monitoring device could be developed that would warn operators of a bed reaching its exhaustion-limit, remediation efforts could operate more cost- effectively and with greater public safety. In our successful Phase I effort, Advanced MicroLab, LLC (AML) worked with the Prof. Henry Group at Colorado State University to transform a proof-of- principle laboratory experiment into a proof-of-concept commercial prototype for online analysis of perchlorate. Our prototype was field tested at a remediation pilot plant with our collaborators, Applied Research Associates (ARA). Testing post-remediated water, perchlorate was baseline resolved from interfering ions with < 1 5g/L limit-of-detection (LOD). Based on S/N, our device matched, if not out-performed, the gold standard, offline Ion Chromatography, in a side- by-side comparison. Additionally, we demonstrated resolution and reproducible detection of other ions in addition to perchlorate, such as, nitrate. In the proposed Phase II work, will transform a proof-of-concept prototype into a near- commercial demonstration unit meeting end-user specifications for online remediation processing. We will develop a companion field portable prototype for water source spot analysis in the field. We will also develop a companion analysis for nitrate and perchlorate from the same water sample. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The Department of Defense alone spends approximately $88 million annually on perchlorate-related research activities, including $60 million for perchlorate treatment technologies. In addition to remediation efforts, untold millions of dollars are spent to barricade contaminated sites and forcing to treat alternative non-contaminated water sources. The majority of the burden for the problem falls on the American citizen either through higher tax rates or municipal water rates. AML provides an innovative technology capable of significantly reducing these burdens through more cost-effective remediation efforts. Our market research conducted in collaboration with remediation technology experts concluded a typical remediation effort would save $0.65 - 1.73 million over a standard 20 year installation lifetime, which translates into a potential savings of $32.5 - 86.4M in California tax dollars alone. More importantly, remediation efforts would be safer, benefiting public health. Remediation facilities have been known to fail with resin release into the public water system. Embedding a monitor within the process can detect malfunctioning equipment or abrupt environmental changes and flag the problem at an early stage before other system components fail.