I-Corps: Developing Sustainable Technologies for Removing Contaminants from Water using Natural Zeolite

在世界范围内，饮用水中严重的无机污染物日益受到关注，特别是工业作业产生的污染物，如受地雷影响的河流和溪流，因为这些污染物本身可能是饮用水的来源。然而，目前去除工业废水中的砷、氟、锶、铀、铁、锰、硬度和其他重金属的方法既困难又昂贵。此外，这些系统通常不被使用，因为它们涉及高资本、运营和维护成本，需要有毒化学品，并产生需要专门处理和处置的固体残留物。这个i-Corps项目将探索一种可持续、简单、低成本的水处理技术的商业可行性。它是基于沸石的使用，沸石是一种储量丰富且成本较低的天然矿物。天然沸石吸附去除是处理受污染水最经济可行的技术选择。还可以预期，沸石和污染物在处理后可以分离，从而允许沸石的再利用和污染物用于其他工业用途的销售。无论在哪里需要治疗，拟议的技术都可以用于许多环境和一些潜在的最终用户。它可以在一个中心位置大量实施，然后通过管道或瓶装进行分发。它可供个人在使用点或入口点小量使用。它可用于需要处理受控或不受控制的废物排放的行业。它可用于为河流、溪流或地下水提供水处理解决方案的行业。每个人都对提供适合人类使用或消费的水的负担得起的替代方案感兴趣。该项目的目标是开发一种具有巨大商业潜力的创新技术，以去除水中的重金属和其他无机污染物。为了实现这一目标，在项目期间，i-Corps团队将1)确定拟议技术商业化的范围和评估潜力；2)阐明价值主张；3)比较现有系统和拟议技术的成本；4)确定将拟议材料纳入新的或现有制造的过滤器/系统并对其进行测试的方法。UTEP团队将通过进行100次访谈和开发商业模式画布来确定商业化潜力，其中包括关键合作伙伴关系、渠道、关键活动、收入流和成本结构等构建块。该团队将在选定的制造过滤器/系统中测试建议的技术，并测试和确定沸石再生与处置的潜力。该项目既有技术贡献的潜力，也有非技术贡献的潜力。这项拟议的技术将为个人消费者、公用事业和工业提供一种简单且经济高效的方法来处理被无机材料污染的水。研究有可能开发出一种具有成本效益的砷“石蕊”测试。此外，该项目产生的议定书将通过使用区域可获得的材料，以最低成本在发展中国家复制，并可以与社会创业商业模式一起建立。最后，该项目将为在西语裔少数族裔服务机构(如UTEP)编制创新和创业综合课程提供基础，以增加科技、经济和经济管理学院中女性和西语裔创新者以及代表性不足的少数族裔的人数。

World-wide, serious inorganic contaminants in drinking water are a growing concern, particularly those resulting from industrial operations, such as mine-impacted rivers and streams, because these may themselves be sources of drinking water. However, current methods for the removal of pollutants such as arsenic, fluoride, strontium, uranium, iron, manganese, hardness and other heavy metals from industrial effluents are both difficult and expensive. Furthermore, these systems are often not used because they involve high capital, operational, and maintenance costs that require toxic chemicals, and produce solid residuals that need specialized handling and disposal. This I-Corps project will explore the commercial feasibility of a sustainable, simple, low-cost technology for water treatment. It is based on the use of zeolite, a natural mineral that is abundant and low cost. Removal by adsorption onto natural zeolites is the most economically feasible technology alternative for treating contaminated water. It is also anticipated that the zeolites and contaminants can be separated after treatment allowing the re-use of the zeolites and marketing of the contaminants for other industrial uses. The proposed technology can be used in a number of settings and for a number of potential end-users, regardless of where treatment is needed. It can be implemented at a central location in large volumes and then distributed through pipelines or bottled. It can be used by individuals in small volumes at a point of use or point of entry. It can be used by industries that require treatment of controlled or uncontrolled discharges of wastes. It can be used by industries that provide water treatment solutions for rivers, streams, or ground water. Everyone is interested in affordable alternatives to providing water suitable for human use or consumption.The goal of the project is to develop an innovative technology with significant commercial potential for removing heavy metals and other inorganic contaminants from water. To achieve this goal, during the life of the project, the I-Corps team will 1) scope and assess the potential for commercialization of the proposed technology; 2) articulate the value propositions; 3) compare the costs of existing systems versus the proposed technology; and 4) determine methods to incorporate and test proposed materials into new or existing manufactured filters/systems. The UTEP team will determine the commercialization potential by conducting 100 interviews and developing a business model canvas that includes building blocks such as key partnerships, channels, key activities, revenue streams, and cost structures. The team will test the proposed technology into selected manufactured filters/systems and test and determine the potential for regeneration of zeolite versus disposal. The project has the potential for both technical and non-technical contributions. The proposed technology will provide individual consumers, public utilities, and industry alike, with a simple and cost-effective way to treat water contaminated with inorganic materials. Studies have the potential to develop a cost-effective arsenic "litmus" test. Additionally, the protocol derived from this project will be reproducible at a minimal cost in developing countries by using regionally available materials, and can be set up with a social entrepreneurial business model. Finally, the project will provide a foundation to develop an integrated curriculum in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) in a minority Hispanic Serving Institution, such as UTEP, to increase the number of female and Hispanic innovators as well as underrepresented minorities in STEM.