|
|
|
Features
2018/11/2
Toxic algae - The Barley Prize
$10 MILLION BARLEY PRIZE - THE CONTENDERS
brought to you in part by
WaterToday sent a series of questions to the four finalists for the Everglades Foundation's George Barley Water Prize: Wetsus, Green Water Solution, University of Idaho and Leetown Science Center (USGS) - as well as first runner up, ZeroPhos. Leetown Science Center (USGS) proposed a mine drainage ochre to develop an iron-oxide filtration bed that can produce a phosphate fertilizer.
Leetown Science Center, USGS – Phil Sibrell
1. Given the size of some of the bodies of water (lake Erie for instance), once you meet the prizes expectation of how much water to filter, is your technology/method scalable to much larger amounts of water being cleaned?
Yes, eventually, we expect that as the technology is demonstrated, that future installations can be built at greater and greater scales, given satisfactory technical and economic results at each stage.
2. Do you think that if the problem isn’t solved first, fertilizer being used for instance, does it really help to clean the water once?
We should be working to solve this problem from all angles available to us, including water treatment, as well as better use, application, and recycling of fertilizers and manures.
3. Given the now increasing amounts of pfoas, chemical pollutions, and new dangers being chronicled at an almost daily pace, is your method/technology adaptable to filtering other contaminants easily?
Although we have not conducted extensive testing of the concept, it is well known that ochre media will adsorb certain types of organic compounds from water. In addition, our process could readily be combined with other treatments to clean water. For example, we have published results indicating that the ochre could be paired with a denitrifying filter to remove both N and P from wastewater.
4. When you have a company doing its daily revenue generation, does your situation mean that a special team has been developed just to win this prize? Some of the participants so far have said money to develop was a challenge.
The USGS treatment concept was developed by a small research group at the Leetown Science Center, in Kearneysville, West Virginia. That specific line of research is no longer being pursued by the USGS.
5. Do you think you should win? And if you do, what would you use the prize money for?"
The most economical, yet effective treatment should win the Barley Prize. If that turns out to be the USGS technology, then the prize money will go to the USGS to support the research mission.
|
|
WT SECTIONS
Latest Features
Rez Water
WT Tech
WT Space
City Water
|
Have a question? Give us a call 613-501-0175
All rights reserved 2024 - WATERTODAY - This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part and may not be distributed,
publicly performed, proxy cached or otherwise used, except with express permission.
|
|
