This project aims to design a sustainable and affordable strategy to treat harmful algal blooms (habs) using sunlight driven photocatalysts that will degrade the cyanobacteria

Researchers will develop 3D-printed floating structures coated with photocatalysts, which can be deployed in water bodies that frequently experience cyanobacteria-dominated habs such as the indian lake in worcester, MA. Activities:the team will design and fabricate 3D-printed floated systems which: 1) have high specific surface area for high efficiency; 2) are coated with a fully exposed, uniform layer of photocatalyst on the surface for high number of exposed active sites; 3) are intentionally designed to be in the shape of locally-occurring n local wildlife; 4) can breakdown cyanobacteria; 5) can be quickly deployed at the site-of-concern and 6) can be retrieved by swimming robots and reused when/where needed.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:deliverables will include annual and final reports. Additionally, the project is expected to produce multiple peer-reviewed publications in journals. The expected outcome of this project will be a reusable prototype prepared by modified 3D printing process which can be deployed into water bodies when needed to control HAB outbreaks efficiently and recovered after treatment. Direct beneficiaries of this program include water quality managers, human health and the environment, and the general public.