The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded US$3.6 million in funding to nine U.S. small businesses to further develop and commercialize environmental technologies through EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. EPA is one of 11 federal agencies participating in the SBIR program, a competitive, award-based initiative that helps small businesses explore technological solutions with the goal of bringing successful innovations to market. 

These Phase II awards will support solutions to complex environmental challenges, including monitoring water quality, addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination, reducing indoor air toxins and pathogens, enhancing recycling systems, and developing safer chemicals. 

“Congratulations to these small businesses for their dedication to driving innovation and tackling today’s environmental challenges,” said Teresa Booeshaghi, associate administrator for EPA’s Office of Applied Science and Environmental Solutions. “Their groundbreaking ideas not only address critical needs but also pave the way for a healthier planet and a stronger, more sustainable economy.” 

For more than 40 years, EPA’s SBIR program has funded small businesses to develop environmental technologies and bring them to market. Funding is awarded in phases: in Phase I, EPA provides $100,000 over six months to support “proof of concept” for the proposed technology. Small businesses that complete a Phase I award can then compete for a Phase II award of $400,000 to further develop and commercialize the technology—with the potential for up to $100,000 in additional matching funds if the recipient secures an equivalent third-party investment during the project period. 

The following businesses are receiving SBIR Phase II awards: 

• Page Technologies, Boulder, Colorado, to develop a real-time, low-cost nitrate sensor platform for water quality monitoring.   
• AxNano Inc, Greensboro, North Carolina, to develop a technology to treat and reclaim PFAS-impacted biosolids.  
• ENF Products, LLC, Edmond, Oklahoma, to develop a nanofiber filter to capture indoor air toxins and pathogens.   
• EcoaTEX, LLC*, Athens, Georgia, to transform agricultural waste into high-performance, PFAS-free, and degradable fibers and yarns.    
• Green Options, PBC, dba Bold Reuse*, Portland, Oregon, to develop a Circular Inventory Platform to reduce plastic waste in hospitals.  
• Pacific Reclaimed Lumber & Supply, SPC*, Sebastopol, California, to scale reclaimed lumber sales and procurement through web, artificial intelligence, and application-based technologies.  
• Acadian Research & Development LLC, Laramie, Wyoming, to develop biochar-derived graphene products that provide increased concrete strength and sustainability.   
• KLAW Industries, LLC, Binghamton, New York, to develop a low embodied carbon alternative for stabilization and full-depth reclamation utilizing waste glass. 
• Prospect Growth, Inc*, Newton, Massachusetts, to optimize and commercialize a nanoparticle phosphorus fertilizer.  

*First SBIR Phase II Award 

Learn more about  EPA’s SBIR program.  

Learn more about the federal SBIR Program. 

The pollution from Minnesota and Canadian wildfire smoke had Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit ranked in the top three most polluted major cities in the world on July 16, according to an international air quality monitoring website. Chicago was No. 1 by mid-afternoon that day.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency also declared an Air Pollution Action Day for the region, urging everyone to limit outdoor exposure.

Fine particles known as PM2.5, which can be emitted by pollution sources such as factories, power plants, diesel and gasoline vehicles, residential fireplaces, and wildfires, are the main driver behind July 16’s elevated air quality in Chicagoland, the Daily Herald reported. PM2.5 can harm human health and sometimes be deadly. Initially, fine particulate matter may cause a burning sensation in the eyes and nose, and because of its small size, it can settle deep in the lungs and cross into the bloodstream.

As health officials urged people to check the Air Quality Index (AQI) before heading outside, AccuWeather reported that doctors say one comparison can help explain just how unhealthy the air can become: cigarettes. Neither wildfire nor cigarette smoke exposure are good, doctors said. PM2.5 also can be found in cigarette smoke and are among the biggest health concerns during smoky air outbreaks. Additionally, scientists have reported that an air quality reading of about 20 on the AQI scale is roughly like smoking one cigarette a day. When the AQI climbs into the 150-plus range for a full day outside, that’s in the range of seven to nine cigarettes. On July 16, Chicago’s AQI tracked higher than 400.

As CMM reported earlier this month, Colorado health officials urged residents to check air quality resources and warned that smoke conditions can change quickly depending on fire activity, wind, and weather.