Water economies
Tourism, fisheries, drinking water, recreation, property, and public resources.
A new platform for biological infrastructure
Nature is already growing the algae.
Nature is already growing the algae.
We are building a
better place for it to grow.
Nitrogen and phosphorus help grow the food that sustains us. After consumption, many of those nutrients end up in wastewater. When they remain in discharged water, they can contribute to uncontrolled blooms downstream. Second Atmosphere is developing Aeroponic Algal Culture (AAC) to grow attached algae where it can be controlled, measured, harvested, and put to work.
Lake Erie harmful algal bloom, western basin, 2011 — NASA Earth
Observatory using USGS Landsat data — public domain —
source/license
Follow the nutrient story
The broken nutrient cycle
The modern economy has systems for producing food and treating wastewater. What it lacks is the productive step connecting them.
Nitrogen and phosphorus grow food. After consumption, nutrients not retained by people or animals enter wastewater. Treatment protects public health, but nutrients remaining in discharged water are still biologically active.
GROW FOOD
→
Nutrients support crops, animals, and biological production.
TREAT WATER
→
Unused nutrients enter wastewater and move through treatment.
GROW ALGAE
Remaining nutrients can support uncontrolled growth downstream.
The algae will grow somewhere.
AAC is designed to grow and harvest it under controlled conditions before those nutrients contribute to environmental and economic harm.
What is at stake
Harmful blooms damage ecosystems—and the economies built around clean water.
Drinking-water systems, fisheries, beaches, boating, tourism, waterfront businesses, property, municipal budgets, and regional identity all depend on healthier water.
PROTECT WATERPRESERVE EXISTING ECONOMIESREDUCE DOWNSTREAM RISK
Why AAC changes the equation
Ponds and photobioreactors put algae in water. AAC puts water on the algae.
Suspended systems must deliver light and carbon through water, then separate microscopic biomass from that water. Earlier attached-growth systems demonstrated another path: grow algae on a surface.
AAC design thesis
Permanent biological infrastructure.
Aeroponic Algal Culture is designed to grow attached algae on fixed, exposed, rigid surfaces supplied with nutrient-bearing moisture. The Ridges increase growing surface and provide direct access for inspection and mechanical harvest.
The harvest is the treatment.
Algae incorporate nitrogen and phosphorus into biomass. Harvesting physically carries those nutrients out of the water system.
A national infrastructure opportunity
Protect what already exists. Recover what has been wasted. Build a new industry.
Nutrient-rich waters form a vast distributed resource. Environomic value combines the environmental and economic value created by controlling pollution, protecting communities, recovering resources, and building infrastructure.
Nutrients and biomass
Nitrogen, phosphorus, harvestable biomass, energy potential, and industrial feedstocks.
A new supply chain
Materials, equipment, engineering, construction, processing, operations, and skilled work.
Commercial pathways
Treatment, development, systems, licensing, services, operations, biomass participation, and facility ventures.
One facility can solve a treatment problem while supporting a larger industrial system. The national calculation and complete value framework continue on The Opportunity page.
See the national opportunity →
Why this is ready to move forward
Established science. Historical experience. A focused engineering program.
The biology was never the obstacle. The work now is to integrate algal growth, nutrient removal, rigid surfaces, water delivery, harvesting, controls, operations, and economics into repeatable infrastructure.
Algae capture nutrients
Research supports wastewater nutrient uptake, attached biofilms, and physical nutrient removal through harvest.
Experience shaped the design
Work beginning at the Erie Wastewater Treatment Facility in 2007 shaped the practical infrastructure thesis through hands-on work with algae, wastewater, and equipment.
Build operating proof
Hosts, researchers, suppliers, builders, operators, and capital partners can help create the first facilities.
The next step is physical
The nutrients are already flowing. The algae is already growing. It is time to move the process into infrastructure.
Bring a nutrient challenge, host a pilot, test the biology, engineer a facility, supply materials, or help finance a new category of water infrastructure.