Algae to the Rescue for Nature-Based Water Treatment
By Vanessa Countryman
The IWH partnered with our affiliated faculty for the development of a nature-based technology known as algal turf scrubbers (ATS). This system utilizes the natural properties of algae to cleanse wastewater of various contaminants.
“The ATS is simply a downward sloping flow-way onto which a substrate is attached,” said Anthony Siccardi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology. “Water pulses over the system stimulating the colonization of the substrate by algae.”
Water quality is improved by reducing nutrient pollution, but it also demonstrates a remarkable capacity to decrease antibiotic-resistant bacteria by approximately 20%.
IWH researchers are expanding their research to assess this nature-based technology’s capability to begin a new era of sustainable wastewater treatment.
Posted in Research