AxNano Invited to Present in Superfund Research Program’s Water Innovation Webinar Series

By Alexis Carpenter

The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is hosting a seminar series to highlight SRP-funded projects around the country that support innovation in water technologies and research. This webinar series complements recent federal government environmental initiatives, including the December 14, 2015 White House Roundtable on Water Innovation. This meeting brought together leaders from industry, government, and academia to discuss approaches for fostering innovation in the water sector and boosting water sustainability by increasing use of water-efficient and reuse technologies.

In the webinar series, SRP grantees discuss their projects related to water remediation, detection of contaminants in water, toxicology, epidemiology, and community engagement of high relevance to drinking water. The series also features research and technologies related to sustainability and management of water resources. These advances highlight the implications of exposures to hazardous substances but also provide an opportunity to develop targeted intervention strategies.

The webinar series will have three sessions: In Session I of this series, SRP staff and grantees introduced challenges and opportunities related to protecting water quality and promoting access to safe, drinkable water. Session III will feature SRP-funded projects that are developing innovative technologies for the monitoring of hazardous substances in water.

Dr. Carpenter will present in Session II, which will feature SRP-funded projects related to remediation of hazardous substances in water. The presentations will highlight potential tools for reducing water contaminants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, trichloroethylene, and other difficult to treat contaminants. Tools include enhanced membranes and in situ chemical treatment systems. Presenters will also discuss technology transfer opportunities and challenges.

Environmental technologies is one of AxNano’s emerging area of expertise. This invited presentation will focus on AxNano’s development of a novel delivery platform to improve In Situ environmental remediation, in collaboration with Professor Luster-Teasley at North Carolina A&T.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that one out of every four Americans lives within three miles of a hazardous waste site. Remediation is carried out by Potential Responsible Parties (PRP) or by the Superfund program when a PRP cannot be identified. Current remediation methods are expensive, time-consuming and disruptive.  Innovative remediation technologies that lower cost while improving efficiency and lowering safety concerns are needed. As such, AxNano is developing technologies for remediation of contaminated water with a focus on tunability, low-cost, ease-of-use, and environmentally conscious materials and methods. Through the development of these technologies, AxNano is participating in finding solutions to the global water crisis.

TGP’s goal is to develop technologies from the applied research stage through commercialization while promoting economic development in Greensboro NC and Danville VA, both areas that have suffered from loss of manufacturing jobs.

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August 11, 2016 UPDATE:

Dear Alexis,
On behalf of the NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP), I would like to thank you for presenting during the SRP Risk eLearning Webinar, SRP Water Innovation – An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Solutions: Session II – Technologies for Water Remediation, on June 20, 2016. 

The feedback from the seminar was positive, and we were pleased with the interest that the seminar attracted. More than 300 people attended your web seminar. The audience represented a wide-variety of environmental professionals from federal and state regulatory agencies to environmental firms and universities.
The session has been recorded and is accessible to the public for viewing on the Hazardous Waste Clean-Up Information website (https://clu-in.org/conf/tio/srpwir2_062016/). We also recently wrapped up the full Risk eLearning series. Archives and information about each session in the series are available on the Risk e-Learning page (bit.ly/waterSRP). Suffice it to say, your presentation has been and will continue to be a resource for many interested in your work.
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It is critical to the success of our Program’s research translation efforts that we draw from the expertise and experiences of our grantees and partners. As such, we thank you for your efforts and look forward to working with you in the future.
 
Sincerely,
William A. Suk, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Chief, Hazardous Substances Research Branch
Director, Superfund Research Program
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
National Institutes of Health