Vitamin B-2 : Is it key for converting Waste to Electricity?

MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- Researchers at the University of Minnesota studying bacteria capable of generating electricity have discovered that riboflavin (commonly known as vitamin B-2) is responsible for much of the energy produced by these organisms.

The bacteria, Shewanella, are commonly found in water and soil and are of interest because they can convert simple organic compounds (such as lactic acid) into electricity, according to Daniel Bond and Jeffrey Gralnick, of the University of Minnesota's BioTechnology Institute and department of microbiology, who led the research effort.

"This is very exciting because it solves a fundamental biological puzzle," Bond said. "Scientists have known for years that Shewanella produce electricity. Now we know how they do it."

The discovery means Shewanella can produce more power simply by increased riboflavin levels. Also, the finding opens up multiple possibilities for innovations in renewable energy and environmental clean-up. The research is published in the March 3 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The interdisciplinary research team, which included several students, showed that bacteria growing on electrodes naturally produced riboflavin. Because riboflavin was able to carry electrons from the living cells to the electrodes, rates of electricity production increased by 370 percent as riboflavin accumulated.

Scaled-up "microbial fuel cells" using similar bacteria could generate enough electricity to clean up wastewater or power remote sensors on the ocean floor.

"Bacteria could help pay the bills for a wastewater treatment plant," Bond said.

But more ambitious applications, such as electricity for transportation, homes or businesses, will require significant advances in biology and in the cost-effectiveness of fuel cell materials.

Why do these bacteria produce electricity? In nature, bacteria such as Shewanella need to access and dissolve metals such as iron. Having the ability to direct electrons to metals allows them to change their chemistry and availability.

"Bacteria have been changing the chemistry of the environment for billions of years," said Gralnick. "Their ability to make iron soluble is key to metal cycling in the environment and essential to most life on earth."

The process could be reversed to prevent corrosion of iron and other metals on ships. Bond and Gralnick were each recently awarded funding from the U.S. Navy to explore this and other potential applications.

This research was funded by the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and Cargill.

The university's BioTechnology Institute is co-sponsored by the College of Biological Sciences and the Institute of Technology.

Source: http://www1.umn.edu/

Water Storage Facility Powered by Solar Panels

MINNEAPOLIS, -- Honeywell today announced that the City of Hillsboro, Ore., has awarded the company a solar project that is expected to cut the city’s energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Under the agreement, Honeywell will install ground-mounted solar panels next to the Hillsboro Evergreen Reservoir water storage facility and sell the electricity the panels produce to the city for use at the reservoir.

The panels are expected to generate more than 104,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, almost 20 percent of the power needed for the 15 million-gallon Evergreen Reservoir.

Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of efficient energy technologies and renewable resources, will help fund part of the project. Honeywell also will work with Renewable NRG, an Energy Trust Trade Ally based in Portland, Ore., to install the solar panels. SolarWorld Group, a global manufacturer of solar technology with a new state-of-the-art fabrication plant in Hillsboro, will supply the solar modules and installation hardware.

“The project directly supports our 2020 Vision Action Plan, which we put in place to positively shape the growth and development of the community,” said Tom Hughes, Mayor of Hillsboro. “The power purchase agreement allows us to stabilize and reduce our utility costs, and it will benefit the Hillsboro economy by using local resources.”

The project will deliver environmental benefits as well, cutting carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 3.6 million pounds over the 20-year agreement. According to figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this is equivalent to removing more than 295 cars from the road for a year.

“The Hillsboro solar project is a great example of a forward-thinking municipality demonstrating that renewable energy can positively impact not only its budget, but also the community’s environment,” said Kacia Brockman, solar program manager for Energy Trust of Oregon.

Honeywell expects to install the solar panels and begin providing electricity for the Evergreen Reservoir by July.

“Renewable energy projects like the Hillsboro installation help create environmental and financial value within a community,” said Kent Anson, vice president of Global Energy for Honeywell Building Solutions. “Honeywell worked with the city to identify the renewable resource and contract structure that would provide the greatest overall benefit. We look forward to providing electricity to the city in the near future.”

Source: http://www.honeywell.com/

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA -- Basin Water, Inc. announced today that it has received approval for the installation of a high-efficiency ion exchange system to remove nitrate at a new potable water source for the Port of Walla Walla, WA. The contract marks the first Basin Water installation in the State and is part of the company’s announced plans to grow operations nationwide while also developing new technologies and applications for their water treatment technology+services business.

According to Mike Stark, President and Chief Executive Officer of Basin Water, the need for effective treatment technology with manageable costs and total reliability faces communities throughout the United States.

“Delivering adequate supplies of high quality drinking water is one of the biggest challenges our communities face as they look to sustain growth through a safe and reliable source of water. The treatment of groundwater for use in drinking water systems is one of the best solutions for meeting that challenge, and we at Basin Water are excited to bring our ‘worry-free water’ approach to the State of Washington,” he said.

Basin Water’s high-efficiency nitrate removal unit will serve the new water system designed by Anderson Perry & Associates for the 122 acre Burbank Business Park located at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Basin Water is supplying the system as a subcontractor to Apollo Inc., the general contractor for the project.

The installation is expected to be brought online by June of this year and will remove nitrate to levels below 7 parts per million (ppm) nitrate as nitrogen. The system will deliver up to 650,000 gallons of water per day (450 gpm) at peak flow rates. The unit is modular in design, and its treatment capacity can be easily increased to satisfy increased demand.

Nitrates are ionic substances widely found in the environment as byproducts of fertilizers, septic systems and groundwater recharge and can migrate easily into drinking water supplies. Once ingested, nitrates are converted into nitrites, which react chemically within the digestive and circulatory systems and have been linked to a number of cancers, diseases and methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome.” Nationally, the EPA has established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 ppm nitrate as nitrogen as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

According to Orlando Carreño, Vice President, Western Region of Basin Water, this first project in the state of Washington bolsters Basin Water’s regional presence as a provider of water treatment technology.

“Basin Water offers some of the most reliable and flexible water treatment solutions available, and we are excited by the prospect of being able to bring those solutions to new communities in the Western U.S.,” Carreño said. “We look forward to working closely with the Port of Walla Walla in getting this system running and assuring a cost-effective, compliant source of drinking water for the people they serve,” he concluded.

Additional information may be found on the company's web site: http://www.basinwater.com/ 

. Nanotechnology Center Water Treatment Selected Ga Tech has selected Siemens to provide wastewater and ultrapure water treatment systems for a new, nanotechnology research center.

PBS&J Acquires EcoScience Corporation
PBS&J announces its acquisition of EcoScience Corporation, a full-service environmental and engineering consulting firm.
 

Rotork acquires Remote Control Sweden Valve actuation specialist Rotork has announced the acquisition of Remote Control Sweden.

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