Dissolved oxygen delivery technology receives funding for oil spill clean up in Gulf of Mexico

July 21, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE, AR, July 21, 2010 -- BlueInGreen has received funding through the Rapid Response Program at the National Science Foundation to deploy SDOX technology in bays and estuaries that have been contaminated from the Horizon Oil Spill...

FAYETTEVILLE, AR, July 21, 2010 -- BlueInGreen®, LLC has received funding through the Rapid Response Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) to deploy SDOX technology in bays and estuaries that have been contaminated from the Horizon Oil Spill. SDOX will efficiently deliver dissolved oxygen to targeted locations in the Gulf and will provide microbes with the oxygen required to rapidly break down hydrocarbons.

Dr. Scott Osborn, COO and CTO of BlueInGreen says, "I thank the NSF because this grant will allow us to build equipment and take it to the Gulf so that we can do our part to help people and the region recover from this disaster. SDOX will both enhance bioremediation of the oil and provide oxygen to oysters, fish and other aquatic life that is threatened by low dissolved oxygen in oil contaminated water." Bioremediation is the use of bacteria to naturally remove oil after it has dispersed through the water.

SDOX systems were developed using NSF funds and are being used in sustainable recovery of ecosystems in a wide variety of fresh water applications, including rivers below hydropower dams, golf course ponds, drinking water reservoirs, and wastewater effluent basins. This Rapid Response grant will allow engineering work to be conducted for use of SDOX in salt water and for monitoring the movement of dissolved oxygen plumes in the tides and currents in the Gulf. The plume of dissolved oxygen provided by SDOX can be targeted to specific locations and depths within the water column and can maintain an overall dissolved oxygen concentration that is most beneficial to aquatic life (4 mg/L and above).

BlueInGreen is determining the best near shore locations for these early deployments. The unit that will be used in the tests funded by NSF is trailer-mounted and can be readily moved to different locations. This portability will enable the unit to be moved quickly to high priority locations throughout the Gulf region. Another benefit is that the SDOX unit can be barge- or boat-mounted, allowing it to be used onshore or offshore. SDOX could also be used in conjunction with skimming equipment that removes bulk oil from the surface; in this case, SDOX would allow for bioremediation of residual oil that is suspended in the water column.

Clete Brewer, CEO of BlueInGreen, says, "We hope that this NSF grant is the first of many opportunities for SDOX-enhanced bioremediation in the Gulf. We look forward to working with BP, our political representatives, the U.S. Coast Guard and other local, state and federal agencies in optimizing the use of SDOX at this critical time. We want to make every effort to help return life to normal in the Gulf as quickly as possible."

For more information about BlueInGreen, visit www.blueingreen.com

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