Nanotechnology Grants Research and other NanoActivities at EPA Barbara Karn, PhD US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development.

Nanotechnology Grants Research and other NanoActivities at EPA

Barbara Karn, PhD

US Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Research and Development

National Center for Environmental ResearchMonday, November 18, 2002US Department of Agriculture

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EPA Organization and Goals

• Clean Air• Clean and Safe Water• Safe Food• Preventing Pollution and

Reducing Risk in Communities, homes, Workplaces and Ecosystems

• Better Waste Management and Restoration of Contaminated Waste Sites

• Reduction of Global and Cross Border Environmental Risks

• Expansion of Americans’ Right-to-Know

• Sound Science, Improved Understanding of Environmental Risk and Innovation to Address Environmental Problems

• A Credible Deterrent to Pollution and Greater Compliance with the Law

• Effective Management

EPA's 10 Strategic Goals:

•ORD provides the leadership in science and conducts most of EPA’s research and development

•NCER is one of two Centers that, together with three National Laboratories, comprise the Office of Research and Development

•NCER is ORD’s extramural research arm

•ORD’s research budget is approx. $550 million, with $100 million for competitive extramural grants and fellowships (STAR)

•ORD in cooperation with other EPA offices selects topics for research in the STAR program

The National Center for Environmental Research(NCER)

•Established in 1995 as part of the overall reorganization of ORD

•Mission: include this country’s universities and non-profit centers in EPA’s research program and to ensure the best possible quality of science in areas of highest risk and greatest importance to the Agency

•Award about $100 million annually

•Manage about 1000 active research grants and fellowships

•Each year: receive 3000-3500 grant applications; make about 300 new STAR awards

STAR Program

Targeted Research Grants through Requests for Applications RFAs- Directed specifically towards national environmental science needs as related to the mission of EPA: Topics selected to complement in-house research program

Exploratory/Futures Grants- General Solicitation in broad areas related to mission of the Agency----NANOTECHNOLOGY

Joint Solicitations with other Agencies -Topics complement partner’s in-house research program

Competed Centers

NCER’s Extramural Programs

Earmarked Centers

Hazardous Substance Research Centers

EPSCoR

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contracts

Science To Achieve Results (STAR)

“Asian Brown Cloud”, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Environmental Challenges for the 21st Century…

Maintaining and Improving Soil, Water, and Air Quality

Pesticide and Fertilizer Runoff

Oil and Chemical Spills

Abandoned Industrial and Mining Sites

Emissions of Airborne Gaseous

and Particulate Matter

…and the Promising Role of Nanotechnology

• Improve environmental technologies (treatment, remediation, sensing)

• Improve manufacturing processes (efficiency, waste reduction)

• Dematerialization

SensorsSensors

Treatment/Treatment/RemediationRemediation

Pollution PreventionPollution Prevention

1 nm = 10-9 m

The scale of things

First RFAFirst RFASynthesis and Processing;

Characterization and Manipulation;

Modeling and Simulation; Device and System Concepts

First RFAFirst RFASynthesis and Processing;

Characterization and Manipulation;

Modeling and Simulation; Device and System Concepts

EPA Nanotechnology Activities

ACS Symposium-March 2003;

AIChE sessions Nov. 2003 Interagency Environmental Conference-Summer 2003

ACS Symposium-March 2003;

AIChE sessions Nov. 2003 Interagency Environmental Conference-Summer 2003

EPA Grantees’ workshop, August 28-29, 2002

EPA Grantees’ workshop, August 28-29, 2002

Building a Green Nanotech Community-

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIENCE

Second RFASecond RFAEnvironmentally Benign Manufacturing and Processing;

Remediation/Treatment; Sensors; Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology

Second RFASecond RFAEnvironmentally Benign Manufacturing and Processing;

Remediation/Treatment; Sensors; Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology

SBIR Nanomaterials

and Clean Technologies

SBIR Nanomaterials

and Clean Technologies

??? ?

?Environmental Applications

Applications and

Implications

Third RFAHealth Effects of

ManufacturedNanomaterials

Third RFAHealth Effects of

ManufacturedNanomaterials

Implications

1st Nano RFA

Opened January, 2001; Closed June, 2001

82 Proposals Received

16 Grantees supported

$5.8 M for 3-year research grants, averaging over $370.7K

Opened January, 2001; Closed June, 2001

82 Proposals Received

16 Grantees supported

$5.8 M for 3-year research grants, averaging over $370.7K

Example EPA STAR Research

A microcantilever (made from nanoparticles) is used to detect and manipulate nanosized biological contaminants. Applicable for miniaturization of detection technologyWan Y. Shih, Drexel University

A microcantilever (made from nanoparticles) is used to detect and manipulate nanosized biological contaminants. Applicable for miniaturization of detection technologyWan Y. Shih, Drexel University

Nanostructured microcantilever for sensing single microbe

Transition metal carbide and oxycarbide nanoparticles for exhaust gas treatement.

Replace use of expensive

Pt-group metals Ismat Shah, U Delaware

Transition metal carbide and oxycarbide nanoparticles for exhaust gas treatement.

Replace use of expensive

Pt-group metals Ismat Shah, U Delaware

Catalytic Nanostructures

Sensors

Nanostructured porous silicon with nanowire coatings used for realtime, remote and industiral process control of specified heavy metals

William Trogler, UC San Diego

Nanostructured porous silicon with nanowire coatings used for realtime, remote and industiral process control of specified heavy metals

William Trogler, UC San Diego

Nanoscale electrodes on a silicon chip used to detect a few metal ions without preconcentration. Suitable for on-site detection of ultratrace levels of heavy metal ions including radioactive

Nongjian Tao, Arizona State

Nanoscale electrodes on a silicon chip used to detect a few metal ions without preconcentration. Suitable for on-site detection of ultratrace levels of heavy metal ions including radioactive

Nongjian Tao, Arizona State

Molecular electronics

Heavy Metals

Cross-sectional electron micrograph of luminescent porous silicon.

Nanowire sensor for explosives

Sensors

Treatment/Remediation

Ag/Au@TiO2 nanoparticles for remediation of environmental pollutants in water. Uses energy of visible sunlight for photochemical reaction.

George Chumanov, Clemson University

Ag/Au@TiO2 nanoparticles for remediation of environmental pollutants in water. Uses energy of visible sunlight for photochemical reaction.

George Chumanov, Clemson University

Bioderived nanosized catalysts Chemical degradation processes in soil or water. Daniel Strongin, Temple U

Bioderived nanosized catalysts Chemical degradation processes in soil or water. Daniel Strongin, Temple U

Photocatalysts

Treatment/Remediation

Nanoparticles immobilized in membrane for treatment of hazardous organics in water. Use may lead to miniaturization of dechlorination reactor systems. Dibakar Bhattacharyya, U Kentucky

Reductive dechlorination of organic pollutants in water or soil using nanosize FeS clusters immobilized in dendrimer nanostructuresMamadou Diallo, Howard U

Reductive dechlorination of organic pollutants in water or soil using nanosize FeS clusters immobilized in dendrimer nanostructuresMamadou Diallo, Howard U

Heavy-metal Heavy-metal bindingbinding

Dechlorination

Utilization of a non-toxic polymer to bind heavy metals like arsenic in water or soilWilfred Chen, UC Riverside

Utilization of a non-toxic polymer to bind heavy metals like arsenic in water or soilWilfred Chen, UC Riverside

Membrane and Polymer-Based Nanostructures

Exploring how to stabilize nanoparticles without harmful additives (make “bare" nanoparticles) that would pollute water, and soil.Darrell Velegol, Penn State

Exploring how to stabilize nanoparticles without harmful additives (make “bare" nanoparticles) that would pollute water, and soil.Darrell Velegol, Penn State

Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles

Green selective oxidation reactions in cation-exchanged zeolitesNOx emission abatement Decomposition of organic contaminants water or air. Sarah Larsen, U Iowa

Green selective oxidation reactions in cation-exchanged zeolitesNOx emission abatement Decomposition of organic contaminants water or air. Sarah Larsen, U Iowa

“Sense and Shoot” Multifunctionality

Composite carbon nanotube/magnetic nanoparticle structures that can both detect and treat contaminants in water or airWolfgang Sigmund, U Florida

Composite carbon nanotube/magnetic nanoparticle structures that can both detect and treat contaminants in water or airWolfgang Sigmund, U Florida

Green Catalysis

2nd--2002 solicitationOpened: February 13, 2002 - Closed: July 1, 2002

Over 130 applications

Fall peer review with awards early 2003

3rd--2003 solicitation

Beginning writing; expect RFA in April/May 2003

Health Effects of Manufactured Nanomaterials

NANOTECH GRANTEES’ CONFERENCE

AUGUST 28/29,2002

Proceedings available soon

EPA/USDA areas for coordination and cooperation:

Monitoring/Sensing: Safe food, Runoff, Land/soil,Water bodies

Treatment/remediation: Feedlots, Agricultural products, Ponds, Drinking water

Pollution Prevention: Agribusiness, Agricultural chemical use, Renewable feedstocks

Contact us:

WWW.EPA.GOV/NCER

Barbara Karn [email protected]