Case Studies and Research
Installation at Native Flora Garden
In May, 2024 Eutrobac partnered with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Brooklyn, NY for an installation and pilot study in their Native Flora Garden’s Pond. The pond gets significant nitrogen pollution from N-laden urban rainwater worsening its water quality and habitat for plants and animals. The NutriFilterTM was an excellent choice to mitigate this pollution and provide healthier water for their native flora. Sampling and data collection for the study is ongoing; check back later this year for results from this study as our data comes in!
Case Study at Golf Course Pond
From May-August, 2023 Eutrobac conducted a case study with its initital NutriFilterTM prototype at a golf course pond at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. The pond, serving as a stormwater retention pond for the surrounding golf course receives high levels of nutrient pollution from fertilizer for lawn care; water from this pond flows downstream to the broader watershed, making this pond a source of pollution for the areas greater waterways. The NutriFilterTM proved effective at stimulating nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria to remove nitrogen during times of high nitrogen input.
Naturalizing the Landscape of Hamilton College
In 2022, working with landscape architecture firm Stimson, we advised Hamilton College on a project called “Green Attributes” where the school comitted to restructuring their systems of landscape maintenane to include new types of ecologically sustainable land use. The project categorized different types of sustainable land use on campus, delineate these spaces, and find spaces to propose a land-use shift toward incorporating more of these naturalized spaces. These efforts have had numerous positive impacts on Hamilton’s campus including:
- Reducing stormwater runoff and increasing nutrient retention
- Increasing carbon capture and storage
- Providing habitat for wildlife
- Reducing mowing fuel consumption
- Promoting native plant growth and biodiversity
- Providing food for pollinator populations
We have six more case studies are in the works; check back later this year for updates!
Research
The NutriFilter™ has undergone extensive testing in five experiments conducted at Hamilton College, the University of Chicago Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, and the NYS Center of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions over the past four years. These studies demonstrated the NutriFilter™'s exceptional ability to remove nitrates and ammonium from various water bodies, with removal rates as high as 98.2% for nitrates and 99.9% for ammonium. These findings confirm the NutriFilter™'s effectiveness in significantly reducing nutrient pollution, showcasing its potential as a powerful tool for improving water quality. The first paper from this research is expected to be sent out for publishing later this year and will be included on this page thereafter.
This figure, from our first mesocosm experiment, demonstrates the removal power of the NutriFilter™. Compare the concentrations of pollutants in the NutriFilter™ reservoir (solid line), with that of the control without the NutriFilter™ (dotted line); while the control saw no nitrate (NO3) removal and ammonium (NH4) removal due entirely to algal blooms, the NutriFilter™ demonstrated removal rates of NO3 and NH4 >98% without algal blooms.