SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The multibillion-dollar Phosphorous removal and recovery industry relies on expensive systems that generate excessive, hard to dispose of solids and makes phosphorus difficult to recycle. Pancopia is developing a game changing technology to remove phosphorus by adsorption and economically recover and recycle it without excessive solids generation. Pancopia will commercialize its groundbreaking technology in aquaculture – and industry that has high need and strong support from producers.U.S. aquaculture producers face stringent discharge limits, especially regarding phosphorus, a key nutrient in fish food. Producers, especially those using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), have shown a need for phosphorus removal, yet no commercially viable technology has been developed. Pancopia established feasibility of a low-maintenance phosphorus separation unit for aquaculture to maximize productivity and meet stringent discharge limits and seeks to develop commercial-scale units. The global aquaculture water treatment systems and RAS market to reach $32B by 2027. The Modular Advanced Phosphorus Separator (MAPS) system market also includes municipal phosphorus treatment – a $12B market alone. Pancopia has achieved over 85% removal of phosphorus in lab-scale tests and proven system compatibility with RAS and fish.Pancopia proposes further development of the MAPS system to remove phosphorus in recirculating aquaculture systems, thus addressing the major impediment to the rapid, profitable expansion of this industry. The MAPS system would also recover phosphorus for reuse thus providing an income stream while improving the environment. The proposed MAPS unit would have wide applicability in other fields including agriculture, aquaponics, and municipal water and wastewater treatment.The unit achieves high levels of phosphorus removal by use of low-cost media and targeted conditioning to adsorb phosphorus. Additional conditioning during backwash will permit full recovery and reuse of phosphorus. The low-maintenance, MAPS unit for aquaculture will maximize productivity and meet stringent discharge limits. The MAPS unit produces no solid waste and has the potential to concentrate recovered phosphorus for use as fertilizer.
