Filtration of Polluted Waters by Pervious Concrete

Gregory M. Majersky, MSCE, President Liquid Asset

Development, LLC

Problems, not just issues

• ~10,000 years of mining around the world.

1. Acid mine drainage enters surface water.

2. The metal concentrations are more toxic than the low pH.

3. Metals have value as commodities.• Agricultural runoff contains soil,

microorganisms, phosphorous and nitrogen compounds.

Problems continued• Humanitarian needs are becoming dire, even in

the US. 1. Growing legal battles between the SW states and the Great Lakes Compact and Mississippi River states. 2. Growing armed conflict in Africa (Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia), Central Asia and China/India (Anaruchel Pradesh).

• Desalinization pre-treatment requires:1. Screening of organisms and debris2. pH elevation to protect filter membranes

Introducing Pervious Concrete• Pervious concrete is simply concrete without

sand.• Pervious concrete has approximately a 15-25%

void structure allowing between 3 to 8 gallons of water per minute to pass through one square foot section of concrete [NRMCA, 2005].

• Proven 30 year track record in parking lots for removing brake dust, brake fluid and oil.

• High void space greatly reduces freeze damage.• High pH environment• Void space allows air to mix with water.

Research Results• Two filter sizes tested• 85 to 99 percent of iron removed• 60 to 70% of sodium removed• 74% of zinc, 65% of copper removed• Over 60% of sulfate removed or reduced• Phosphate removal 3-5x better than other,

more complex systems at 2008 CSU competition.

• Avg. increase in dissolved oxygen of 1.8 mg/L and avg. decrease in temp of 1 C.

Percent Total Species Concentrations Present in Filtrate

0.00

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

1 hour 2 hour 3 hour 4 hour 5 hour

Sample hour

% C

on

cen

trat

ion

Sulfate

Iron

Sodium

Zinc

Colorado State University Competition

Influent simulated Bangladesh flood waters.The filter is represented by UCD. Note the Total P

effluent concentrations. Each team had one minute to filter 40 L.

Category Points PossibleUCD CSU NMT Ttech UNM

Volume Discharged [L] 33 40 33 25 32Total N [mg/L] 171 153 152 161 153Total P [mg/L} 37 120 131 161 108Conductivity [mS/cm] 5 5 5 5 5pH (closest to 7.0) 11 7 7 7 7Turbidity [NTU] 122 55 26 191 22COD [mg/L] 5 5 5 5 5DO [mg/L] 6 9 9 6 9

Market Opportunities• Acid Mine Drainage, recovery of metals:• $200 million/yr in the US, $40 billion globally

based on:

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection [Rathbun, 2004]

“the annual cost…for AMD remediation is projected at $23 million dollars a year and

the estimated state wide value of sludge from these systems to contain millions of dollars

in metals, yet is handled as waste.

Market Opportunities cont’d• Desalinization pre-treatment is 25% of the

total desalinization process.

1. $25 billion USD by 2010 and over $56 billion USD by 2015

2. http://www.the-infoshop.com/study/gwi47246-desalination.html

Markets continued...• Current treatment of agricultural runoff

involves large scale landscaping and a complex facility.

• Humanitarian applications:1. Improve quality of available water for consumption in severe cases.2. Where “potable” water is available, sufficient water for hygiene is not.3. Hygienic water treatment in disaster areas.

Business Discussions• Gherson Lehrman Group (glgroup.com,

Educator Level Consultant) • Working with the Northern Ireland Invest

representative, Margaret McMahon.• In contact with the Minister of Economic

Development for Isreal in London• Published thesis, ISBN 978-3-639-02618-4• OOSKA News Water Weekly Feb 17, 09, vol. 2,

Issue 7 (written by Rami Abdelrahman).• In contact with Peg Booth, publicist for John

Perkins (Confessions of an Economic Hit Man).

Business Discussions cont’d

• Received exposure at major China environmental/energy expo through CO. Export Office, http://www.greenchn.com/info/detail/19-398.html

• Manuscript submission is in final approval stages at 2009 Int’l Desal Congress in Dubai

Development Status

• 3rd party lab testing and a field trial is needed

• 3rd party lab experimental design and estimate have been negotiated with Hazen Labs.

• Field trial design and location has also been established through a local consulting company.

Company Structure• Colorado based LLC• CEO/President Gregory Michael Majersky

• CFO/Accountant Karen B. Frye

Senior Advisory Staff• Dr. Randall Tagg, Physics Chair, University

of Colorado Denver

Seeking...• Funding, ~$240,000 to start, up to 2.5 mil.• Funds cover salaries, R&D, marketing/travel (ex:

World Water Week in Stockholm, Int’l Desal Congress in Dubai).

• Investors and advisors with potential client contacts in the US and abroad (both well funded, reputable NGOs and foreign governments).

• Specific skill sets such as hydrology, inorganic and organic chemistry, consultant backgrounds. One potential staff member is in the wings.