SBIR Phase I: Bioremediation of Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons from Wastewaters

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to scale up the production of low-cost, low-energy novel materials to allow more water recycling and reuse, preserving this precious resource for society. The aims of the project are to increase scientific and technological understanding of advanced material design with a detailed knowledge of biodegradation to specifically and efficiently remove problem chemicals from water systems. In some cases, the water may be made suitable for municipal use. In other cases, water may be restored to a level such that it can be used for agriculture or industrial processing. The technical objectives of this Phase I research project are to design, construct and test encapsulated microbial materials that are targeted toward eliminating hard-to-remove or acutely hazardous chemicals from waters, so as to allow their reuse. The encapsulating material of silica is generally regarded as safe (GRAS), is inexpensive, and flexible. The materials are combined with specific microbial biocatalysts that are demonstrated to have broad biodegradation activities against a range of chemicals within specific chemical classes. One such class are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related aromatic ring chemicals that include demonstrated toxins, carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. The technology to be developed, unlike some existing technologies currently in use, will seek to completely destroy the compounds of concern such that no waste material need to further treated or disposed of. Moreover, the specificity of the biocatalysts can be used to, in some cases, selectively remove chemicals of concern while completely retaining other chemicals that may be needed for the further utility of the water. Overall, the present project seeks to expand the use of biocatalysts and advanced materials to selectively and completely remove chemicals from water, thus minimizing cost and maximizing conservation and use of water resources.