Oak Ridge, Tenn.-based BioLargo Inc. (OTC:BLGO) announced Wednesday that its BioLargo Engineering, Science & Technologies (BLEST) subsidiary has borne out a new, cutting-edge water treatment technology aimed at solving the growing international per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination crisis.
Having completed its work under a Phase I SBIR grant from the Environment Protection Agency, BLEST is moving to the next phase of development in preparation for demonstration pilots and commercialization.
The new technology, called the Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator (AEC), has been proven capable of 99+% removal of the two most predominant PFAS compounds – PFOA and PFOS – without the need for the high-pressure systems and high electricity costs of reverse osmosis, or the high consumable costs necessary for carbon filters.
BLEST reckons, based on its bench-scale testing, AEC was projected to use only $0.30 of electricity to treat 1,000 gallons of water, a fraction of the cost of what is necessary to operate the competing technologies. BLEST management believes that it will further reduce electricity costs for treating potable water.
Shares in BLGO soared 1.5 cents, or 6.8%, to 23.5 cents, on volume of more than 387,000 shares.