Read the full article by BioLargo, Inc (GlobalNewswire)
“Oak Ridge, TN, Jan. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NEWMEDIAWIRE — BioLargo Engineering, Science & Technologies (BLEST), today announced that it has validated the efficacy of a new, cutting-edge water treatment technology aimed at solving the growing international per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination crisis. Having completed its work under a Phase I SBIR grant from the EPA to its parent corporation BioLargo, Inc. (BLGO), it is moving to the next phase of development in preparation for demonstration pilots and commercialization.
The new technology, called the Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator (AEC), has been proven capable of 99+% removal of the two most predominant PFAS compounds – PFOA and PFOS – without the need for the high-pressure systems and high electricity costs of reverse osmosis, or the high consumable costs necessary for carbon filters. BLEST reports that based on its bench-scale testing, AEC was projected to use only $0.30 of electricity to treat 1,000 gallons of water, a fraction of the cost of what is necessary to operate the competing technologies. BLEST management believes that they will further reduce electricity costs for treating potable water…
Funded in part by an SBIR Phase I grant administered through the EPA, BLEST’s initial work successfully established that the AEC could remove high concentrations PFAS in a continuous flow-through device, producing a ‘clean’ stream and a highly concentrated PFAS stream ready for subsequent treatment by methods like advanced oxidation. The AEC technology has potential to significantly reduce the cost of water treatment in a full-scale application.
The BLEST team has submitted an application for additional funding from the EPA to accelerate its work under a Phase II SBIR grant. In the proposed project, the team will create a pilot unit to field test the technology in commercial and industrial settings at a small commercial scale. They are in the process of identifying a ‘partner community’ that will act as the test site.
Randall Moore, President of BLEST, commented, ‘We believe we have made a strong case in our application to the EPA for additional financial support under the Phase II SBIR grant program. Our team has decades of experience delivering engineering and science-based solutions. Our goal is to deliver a low-cost, low-energy technology that will reduce the threat PFAS poses to people worldwide…'”