I-Corps: Use of Zeolite as a Natural Algaecide

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种创新，以减少威胁水生生态系统和水资源的营养污染造成的淡水有害藻类大量繁殖。水资源的保护已成为全世界的必要条件，现在需要开发获取和保持淡水的新技术。这项创新将加强美国经济，保护人类和动物健康，并有助于保护我们国家的淡水水体。此外，这项技术的应用可以提高地方、区域和全球可持续性的环境、社会和经济方面。目前，在含有水生生物的湖泊中控制FHAB的努力仅限于机械清洗或使用化学灭藻剂。 据保守估计，富营养化和FHAB将使美国经济损失22 - 46亿美元。这个I-Corps项目的基础是开发一种铜改性天然沸石（Cu-Z）作为除藻剂，这是一种化学方法，由于铜固定在沸石基质中，避免在水和土壤中留下残留物。Cu-Z还提供了在不同配置中实施的灵活性，例如过滤单元或原位静态或移动浮选装置。已经进行了批量测试实验，其中使用叶绿素a作为水中藻类的指示剂测试了使用Cu-沸石的功效。此外，通过分析暴露于铜溶液和Cu-沸石之前和之后的荧光水平，测试了含有在鱼缸中生长的藻类、商业购买的藻类和来自当地湖泊的藻类的水样品。 初步结果表明，铜-沸石可以像铜溶液一样有效地抑制藻类生长。使用铜沸石可以提供一种更安全和成本效益高的替代品，用于防止饮用水储存罐，水池和池塘中的藻类生长。 正在进行更多的研究，以确保使用铜沸石作为除藻剂产生的水中铜残留物对水生生物或饮用水是安全的。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of an innovation to reduce freshwater harmful algae blooms (FHABs) resulting from nutrient pollution that threaten aquatic ecosystems and water resources. Conservation of water resources has become a necessity all around the world and the development of new techniques for obtaining and maintaining fresh water is now needed. This innovation will strengthen the U.S. economy, protect human and animal health, and help preserve our nation's freshwater bodies. Furthermore, this technology has applications that increase environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability locally, regionally, and globally. Currently, efforts to control FHABs in lakes containing aquatic life has been limited to mechanical cleansing or the use of chemical-based algaecides. Eutrophication and FHABs are conservatively estimated to cost the U.S. economy 2.2–4.6 billion dollars. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a copper-modified natural zeolite (Cu-Z) as an algaecide, a chemical approach that avoids leaving a residual in water and soil as the copper is immobilized within the zeolite matrix. Cu-Z also provides the flexibility of implementing it in different configurations such as filtration units or in-situ static or moving flotation devices. Batch test experiments have been performed in which the efficacy of using Cu-Zeolite has been tested using chlorophyll a as an indicator of algae in water. Also, samples of water containing algae grown in a fish tank, commercially purchased algae, and algae from a local lake have been tested by analyzing for fluorescence levels before and after exposure to copper solutions and Cu-Zeolite. Preliminary results have shown that the Cu-Zeolite may be as effective as a Copper solution to inhibit algae growth. The use of Cu-Zeolite may provide a safer and cost-effective alternative for preventing algae growth in drinking water storage tanks, pools, and ponds. Additional studies are being conducted to ensure that the copper residuals in water resulting from the use of the Cu-Zeolite as algaecide are safe for aquatic life or drinking water.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.