Virtual Technology Fair: Lead (Pb) Detection and Treatment for Water

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) presents a "Virtual Technology Fair" featuring Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant recipients developing innovative solutions for lead (and other metals) in water. Speakers will give a "pitch", showcasing the work underway and its value-added to disrupt the market. We encourage participation by and questions from potential end-users, customers, and other stakeholders to accelerate technology transfer of these promising approaches.

To learn more about the NIEHS SBIR program, please see the SRP Funding Opportunities webpage.

To learn more about and register for other SRP events, please visit the SRP events website.

Presentation Summaries:
NIEHS SBIR Funding Opportunities: the NIEHS Superfund Research Program's Heather Henry, PhD, will provide an overview of the NIEHS SBIR program, including information for potential applicants.

GlycoSurf, LLC: Chett Boxley, Ph.D., and Raina Maier, Ph.D., of GlycoSurf, LLC, will discuss technologies developed to remove uranium, lead, and rare earth elements from both groundwater and complex mining solutions. With funding from an SBIR grant, GlycoSurf researchers collaborated with scientists at the University of Arizona and Wayne State University to develop environmentally friendly glycolipid surfactants to remove metal from aqueous mining wastestreams. They have developed two approaches:  an ion flotation process in which surfactants complex with target metals and are removed from the solution with bubbles, and a functionalized resin technology that removes metals through a selective sorption process.

ElectraMet: Lindsay Boehme, Ph.D., of PowerTech Water, Inc. (d/b/a/ ElectraMet), will discuss an electrochemical POU device designed to remove lead from water. Developed with funding from an SBIR grant, the device uses activated carbon electrodes and a small electrical current to induce reactions that remove lead from the water. The device will fit under a standard sink, have an attainable price point, and be able to process more water than current treatment options.

Stemloop, Inc.: Khalid Alam, Ph.D., of Stemloop, Inc., will discuss an innovative monitoring technology that provides users with on-site and on-demand monitoring of lead in drinking water. Developed with funding from an SBIR grant, the team's paper-based devices use repurposed biological sensor proteins that produce detectable signals when lead is present. Adding water activates the device to produce a visual signal when lead is present.

NanoAffix Science, LLC: James Hill, Ph.D., of NanoAffix Science, LLC, will discuss the NAFX Handheld Lead Tester. With funding from an SBIR grant, the device was developed in response to the lead laden drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Relying on innovations in accurate particulate lead predictions, sensor device uniformity, and calibration accuracy, the NAFX Handheld Lead Tester is the first of its kind to offer users accurate, cheap, and fast detection of all three types of lead: total lead (indicative of overall toxicity), soluble lead (indicative of slow leaching of lead), and particulate lead (indicative of sporadic flaking of lead).

Heather F. Henry, Ph.D., Program Administrator, NIEHS Superfund Research Program (heather.henry@nih.gov)
Heather Henry, Ph.D., is a health science administrator for the NIEHS where she oversees Superfund Research Program (SRP) grants that spans human health toxicology, risk assessment, detection technologies and remediation approaches. She provides guidance to potential applicants for SRP’s Multiproject Center Grants (P42s), Individual Research Grants (R01s), Small
Business / Technology Transfer Grants (R41-44; SBIR/STTR), and Conference Grants (R13). Heather studied plant-based environmental remediation
(phytoremediation) and ecological restoration as part of her doctoral work at the University of Cincinnati and as a Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Melbourne and University of Adelaide in Australia. She has been with NIEHS since 2006.

Chett Boxley, PhD, GlycoSurf, LLC (chettboxley@gmail.com)
Chett Boxley, Ph.D., is the CEO of GlycoSurf, a specialty chemical startup focused on research and development (R&D) to commercialization. He has expertise in chemistry techniques, material science, organic synthesis, and other research areas, as well as commercialization methods. Prior to his current role, Boxley was the principal researcher at Ceramatec, managing R&D of ceramic-based technologies and applications. Boxley obtained an MBA from Westminster College and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Utah.

Raina Maier, PhD, University of Arizona (rmaier@ag.arizona.edu)
Dr. Raina Maier's research focuses on understanding how we can exploit microbes and their activities and products to benefit human health and the environment. She is a Professor of Environmental Microbiology in the Department of Environmental Science and is known for her contributions to the field of microbially-produced surfactants - these amazing molecules have been the basis for several research discoveries and patents in the field of environmental cleanup and metal recovery especially related to mining. She is also known for her work on the relationships between microbial diversity and ecosystem function in arid and semi-arid environments with a focus on mine tailings and desert soils. Dr. Maier serves as the Associate Director of the University of Arizona NIEHS Superfund Research Center and co-founded the Center for Environmentally Sustainable Mining both of which are focused on understanding the health impacts and advancing innovative solutions for remediation of mine waste sites.

Linday Boehme, PhD, ElectraMet (lindsay.boehme@electramet.com)
Dr. Lindsay Boehme received her PhD in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. Her thesis focused on copper electrodeposition for interconnect metallization. She then completed a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Electrical Engineering working on electron beam induced deposition and etching of copper. She has been employed at PowerTech Water, Inc. (d/b/a ElectraMet) since October 2015 and is currently the PI on an NIH CRP award that is targeting lead removal from drinking water. ElectraMet is a cleantech company harnessing the power of advanced carbon electrode technology to go beyond traditional water treatment solutions and deliver clean water affordably and effectively with an environmentally responsible, cost-efficient, and easy-to-use platform. Using innovative carbon materials and electrochemistry, ElectraMet has developed a disruptive, targeted, and sustainable water purification technology platform to treat and purify water by removal of heavy metals such as lead (Pb), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe).

Khalid Alam, PhD, Stemloop, Inc. (khalid@stemloop.com)
Khalid Alam, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of Stemloop, a biosensor company. Stemloop's ROSALIND platform enables testing of a wide range of chemical analytes, helping detect toxic heavy metals and other contaminants in drinking water at levels that protect health. Alam earned his doctoral degree in biochemistry at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was a postdoctoral fellow and visiting research collaborator at Northwestern University, where he developed the cell-free biosensor technology he now uses at Stemloop. As a postdoc, Alam co-founded ChiTownBio, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to build Chicago's first community biology laboratory, and remains on the board.

James Hill, PhD, NanoAffix Science, LLC (jhill@nanoaffix.com)
James Hill originally joined NanoAffix in 2020 and has over a decade of experience in the areas of electrochemistry and surface science. He has worked in various research and product development roles at small businesses and start-up companies. James Hill originally joined NanoAffix in 2020 and has over a decade of experience in the areas of electrochemistry and surface science. He has worked in various research and product development roles at small businesses and start-up companies.

Moderator:

Jean Balent, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (balent.jean@epa.gov or 202-566-0832)
Ms Balent is on the staff of the EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division where she has worked to collect and disseminate hazardous waste remediation and characterization information since 2003. Ms Balent manages the Clean Up Information Network website and actively supports online communication and collaboration resources available to EPA. She formerly worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Engineering Division in the Buffalo District. Ms Balent was also a member of the SUNY-Buffalo Groundwater Research Group where she constructed and tested large scale models of groundwater flow. Ms Balent has also conducted research relating to the Great Lakes, environmental remediation, and brownfields re-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from SUNY-Buffalo and a Master's degree in Information Technology from AIU.

• These materials will be available by Monday, October 28, 2024

Webinar Slides and References:

• These materials will be available by Monday, October 28, 2024

Additional Resources:

• These materials will be available by Monday, October 28, 2024

The feedback form for this webinar will be available starting on Monday, October 28, 2024.

Help & FAQs

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Content Questions?
  Call Mali Velasco at 919-794-4708 or mali.velascodelgado@nih.gov
• Technical Problems?
  Leave us a comment
• Cancel Your Registration
• My Participation Records
• CEU Credits and PDHs

Zoom Resources

This seminar will be delivered through Zoom. Participants are encouraged to update to the latest version of the Zoom application for the best experience. If you are unable to install the Zoom application, most functions will be available if you join just using a modern web browser such as Chrome, Edge or Firefox. We strongly encourage you to run the Zoom Meeting Test prior to attending this seminar. Technical support on the day of the seminar will be very limited and subject to significant delays.

Rehabilitation Act Notice for Reasonable Accommodation

It is EPA's policy to make reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities wishing to participate in the agency's programs and activities, pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 791. Any request for accommodation should be made to Mali Velasco at 919-794-4708 or mali.velascodelgado@nih.gov, preferably one week or more in advance of the seminar, so that EPA will have sufficient time to process the request. EPA would welcome specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. EPA welcomes specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. Please note that CLU-IN provides both alternate phone call-in options and closed captioning for all webinars, and requests for these specific accommodations are not necessary.

Rehabilitation Act Notice for Reasonable Accommodation

It is EPA's policy to make reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities wishing to participate in the agency's programs and activities, pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 791. Any request for accommodation should be made to Mali Velasco at 919-794-4708 or mali.velascodelgado@nih.gov, preferably one week or more in advance of the webinar, so that EPA will have sufficient time to process the request. EPA would welcome specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. EPA welcomes specific recommendations from requestors specifying the nature or type of accommodation needed. Please note that CLU-IN provides both alternate phone call-in options and closed captioning for all webinars, and requests for these specific accommodations are not necessary.

Webinar Recording

By participating in this CLU-IN webinar, you automatically agree to authorize recording of audio and visual content presented during this live event and consent to subsequent use of this recording in the public domain by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This recording may include questions, comments and poll responses provided by you during the live event in addition to your name, voice, image or likeness. This recording will be made available after the conclusion of the live event as part of the CLU-IN webinar archives, and will remain available indefinitely. If you do not wish to consent to the recording, please do not join the live event, and contact Jean Balent at 202-566-0832 or balent.jean@epa.gov to discuss your concerns.

Content Disclaimer

This webinar is intended solely to provide information to the public. The views and opinions expressed as part of this webinar do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is not intended, nor can it be relied upon, to create any rights enforceable by any party in litigation with the United States, or to endorse the use of products or services provided by specific vendors. With respect to this webinar, neither the United States Government nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.