The Problem
Nutrient pollution is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time. These pollutants, primarily in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus, have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems, water quality, and human health. While nitrogen and phosphorus are essential nutrients for plant growth, stimulating agricultural and industrial productivity, they have also caused an excess of nutrients in our environment. Sources like animal manure, failing septic tanks, stormwater runoff, fertilizer, and sewage treatment plant discharge send nutrient runoff into water ways throughout the United States.
1. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs):
Excess nutrients in water bodies promote the growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs). The rapid and dense accumulation of certain algae and bacteria can produce harmful toxins, which pose significant risks to human health, including the contamination of drinking water sources and the closure of recreational areas.
2. Oxygen Depletion:
When excessive amounts of nutrients enter water bodies, they can fuel the overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants, a process known as “eutrofication”. As these plants decay, bacteria consume oxygen in the water during the decomposition process. This can lead to oxygen depletion, creating dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive. Such oxygen depletion has severe consequences for fish populations and other organisms that rely on oxygen-rich habitats.
3. Contaminate Drinking Water:
Nutrient pollution can contaminate drinking water. The accumulation of the nutrient pollutant nitrate (NO3) in drinking water can cause several negative health outcomes such as cancer, birth defects, blue baby syndrome, and thyroid issues.
Excess nutrients in water bodies promote the growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs). The rapid and dense accumulation of certain algae and bacteria can produce harmful toxins, which pose significant risks to human health, including the contamination of drinking water sources and the closure of recreational areas.
2. Oxygen Depletion:
When excessive amounts of nutrients enter water bodies, they can fuel the overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants, a process known as “eutrofication”. As these plants decay, bacteria consume oxygen in the water during the decomposition process. This can lead to oxygen depletion, creating dead zones where aquatic life cannot survive. Such oxygen depletion has severe consequences for fish populations and other organisms that rely on oxygen-rich habitats.
3. Contaminate Drinking Water:
Nutrient pollution can contaminate drinking water. The accumulation of the nutrient pollutant nitrate (NO3) in drinking water can cause several negative health outcomes such as cancer, birth defects, blue baby syndrome, and thyroid issues.
Our Solutions
The NutriFilterTM affordably and permanently removes nitrogen and phosphorus from water. The patent-pending device uses a unique pump rate and substrate material to filter phosphorus out of the water and create a perfect habitat for nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. These bacteria form a filter that converts dissolved nitrogen into nitrogen gas, a harmless gas that makes up 70% of the air we breathe. The NutriFilterTM also provides habitat for native plant & animal species and increases dissolved oxygen levels in the water body.
1. Nitrogen Removal: The NutriFilterTM converts dissolved nitrogen into nitrogen gas (N2) by stimulating populations of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria. These bacteria are naturally occuring, meaning that we amplify what microbes are already in the waterbody we’re treating, making the solution both more ecologically-friendly, and more stable in the long term, as we do not need to continually inocculate the system with foreign microorganisms.
2. Phosphorus Removal: Using our proprietary substrate, we can filter phosphorus out of water, adsorbing it to a mineral surface that does not harm the chemical or biological conditions of the water body. After years of use accumulating phosphorus, the substrate is removed and replaced. The old substrate can be subsequently be processed back into phosphorus fertilizer for farmers to use on their crops!
3. Increased Dissolved Oxygen Levels: The NutriFilterTM also increases dissolved oxygen levels in a water body by drawing hypoxic water from the bottom of the water body, circulating it through the system, and returning it in a turbulent manner. Increasing oxygen levels in water helps the water body’s aerobic organisms (like fish, turtles, and frogs) and mitigates biogenic methane production, a harmful greenhouse gas.
3. Ecological Enrichment: The NutriFilterTM also can be planted as a garden bed with water tolerant native plant species, including many wildflowers, which promote pollinators and provides an ecological aesthetic to the syste. Additionally, NutriFilterTM can serve as a turtle basking platform!
4. Affordable and Efficient: All other serious nitrogen removal systems are multi-million dollar infrastructure projects that use a substantial amount of land. Our floating technology is a much more affordable alternative.
6. Universally Applicable: Our team can accommodate the needs of many different types of organizations and water bodies. Let us know how EutroBac can work for you and we’ll make it happen!
Pollution Consulting
Before we implement solutions to reduce nutrient load problems, it's important to understand the inner workings of the watershed and the nature of a water body’s nutrient pollution issues. We conduct analyses using testing and our software to understand where nutrients are coming from and how best to treat them. Once we conduct analyses we can make recommendations and implement solutions.Constructed Wetlands
We take a holistic approach to wetland construction, carefully considering the unique characteristics of each site. We leverage nature's processes to design systems that mimic natural wetlands, using native plant species and fostering biodiversity. By applying advanced engineering techniques, we optimize water flow and treatment efficiency, minimize maintenance, and ensure optimal performance and longevity. Our constructed wetlands remove nutrients and promote biodiversity with their state-of-the art designs.