Local Startup CatalyzeH2O Awarded $75,000 Small Business Award
Summary
PFAS chemicals are associated with cancer and can disrupt thyroid, liver and kidney function, among other dangers and are present in the water of nearly every air base in the country.This grant will enable CatalyzeH2O to take advantage of new innovations in the electrochemical industry and apply them to our developing technology, said Aaron Ivy, vice president of CatalyzeH2O. This will allow us to ensure our water treatment reactor is robust, capable of handling any harmful, toxic or carcinogenic compounds and protect the worlds water.CatalyzeH2O was founded by Shelby Foster, who has multiple degrees from the University of Arkansas, and Lauren Greenlee, a former associate professor of chemical engineering at the U of A. The Ozark Reactor technology is based off research done by Humeyra Ulusoy Erol, another graduate of the U of A with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering.Ulusoy Erols work previously contributed to the Oasis Reactor, a project funded by the Department of Defense to provide a more efficient and less expensive system for removing explosives from water through innovative catalyst technology combined with electrochemical oxidation. We are combining cutting edge technologies to form a new water treatment platform that will pave the way for the destruction of these compounds in our water.Ivy anticipates Phase I will prove the feasibility of the Ozark reactor for the Air Force. Phase II would then be a two-year period to develop a marketable product that would be used in cleanup operations on airbases and airports across the United States.The federal Small Business Innovation and Research award program incentivizes small businesses to pursue research and development with the potential for commercialization.