SBIR-STTR Award

The broader impact/commercialization potential of this SBIR project is an electrochemical water treatment technology which has the potential for minimizing cost, requiring little to no maintenance, and comprehensively treating harmful contaminants such as pathogens, toxic organics, and metals in drinking water. About 80M U.S. homeowners are seeking a water purification solution for fear of their water quality. They are unsatisfied with the high maintenance, long-term costs, and lack of comprehensive treatment capabilities of existing systems. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to optimize, demonstrate, and scale an electrochemical water purification system for residential point-of-entry application. Existing water purification systems are largely ineffective in comprehensively treating contaminants such as pathogens, toxic organics, and metals, and also require frequent maintenance which contributes to high costs and waste generation. To address these concerns, the treatment effectiveness, cost, and feasibility of treating water contaminated with pathogens and toxic organic compounds by the proposed electrochemical technology will be studied in laboratory and pilot scale applications. Design parameters will be optimized for highest treatment capability and lowest costs and maintenance needs. Prototypes will be scaled for pilot evaluation at flow rates for residential point-of-entry application and evaluated for robustness. The laboratory and pilot units will be evaluated for perfluorinated compound (PFC) removal consistent with NSF/ANSI P473 and for pathogen disinfection following EPA Purifier Standard Certification. PFC removal and disinfection are keys to proving a comprehensive water purification solution for decentralized treatment. The end result will be a small product automated by sensors that connects directly in-line with a building's plumbing.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.

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is a cost-efficient and comprehensive water treatment solution that destroys water contaminants on contact, enabling on-site advanced water treatment in many industries with the potential for zero-liquid discharge/reuse operations. The proposed technology uses an innovative electrochemical design for water treatment. This practice reduces costs (e.g., transport, treatment, permitting) associated with hazardous waste and fresh water supplies, while safeguarding communities and the environment from potential contamination through accidental release, incomplete treatment, or non-secure storage. Industries adopting zero-liquid discharge can reduce freshwater demand and redirect it for other critical uses, such as agriculture. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will advance the development of an electrochemical oxidation and reduction destruction technology for industrial and municipal water treatment. The proposed technology destroys contaminants in a single step using a reactive electrochemical membrane easily customized to the appropriate voltage and amperage to efficiently oxidize or reduce target contaminants in the water. This project will address the following objectives: 1) optimize efficacy and efficiency to destroy PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, nitrate, and perchlorate, 2) finalize large-scale device design, 3) develop a pilot system and explore the performance-cost trade space, and 4) iterate on system design. The impact of process conditions on treatment efficacy will be explored to optimize for low cost and energy efficiency. Verification and validation will take place with on-site brine treatment pilot testing, while characterizing performance relative to state-of-practice and exploring potential economies of scale.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.