Scarborough Beach Defends Against Health-Threatening Bacteria
AbTech’s Smart Sponge® Plus will reduce the damage when harmful microorganisms attempt to spill into Scarborough’s bathing waters
Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) July 24, 2004
Improving water quality at Scarborough Beach has been a top priority for state and local officials in Rhode Island. On July 2, during a special event held on the beach, Governor Donald Carcieri officially announced an implementation plan to eliminate health-threatening microorganisms from entering the ScarboroughÂ’s bathing waters and lauded the team efforts of those who have worked behind the scenes to make it happen.
For some time, Rhode IslandÂ’s Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), and the Department of Health (DOH) have been working together to determine the cause and find the remedy for high bacteria concentrations, which, at times, have led to beach closures.
After DEM sampling results identified high bacteria concentrations within the drainage areas tributary to the five stormwater outfalls that discharge directly into the waters along Scarborough Beach, the DOT took immediate action to find a water treatment solution that specifically targeted bacteria removal.
Cindy Baumann, Director of Engineering for Crossman Engineering, consulted on the project, and helped design an innovative solution to eliminate health-threatening levels of bacteria from entering the bathing waters.
“The core of the solution involves diverting the flow from the five stormwater outfalls through a filtering system. The system includes new drainage piping filled with an antimicrobial material called the Smart Sponge® Plus developed and patented by AbTech Industries. The Smart Sponge Plus destroys bacteria and has been successful in treating Enteroccocus, E. Coli, and Fecal Coliform in stormwater applications. It is currently the only non-leaching anti-microbial product available to treat bacteria within stormwater and is fully recyclable,” Baumann said.
Rodolfo Manzone, Ph. D., AbTechÂ’s Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, explained that Smart Sponge Plus employs an antimicrobial, chemically bound to the Smart Sponge polymer filtration material, which deactivates health-threatening microorganisms without releasing chemicals or leaching. Independent field testing has validated the effectiveness of the Smart Sponge Plus in multiple locations with a variety of microorganisms found in stormwater runoff.
“Unlike other antimicrobials that act by poisoning harmful microorganisms, Smart Sponge Plus technology is based on the antimicrobial’s interaction with the microorganism’s cell membrane. Simply put, it acts by rupturing cell membranes—preventing potentially harmful microorganisms from functioning, developing, or reproducing. Because no chemical or physical change occurs in the antimicrobial,
The filtration system maintains long-term effectiveness.” Manzone said.
Glenn Rink, AbTech’s President and CEO, said that Scarborough Beach is not alone in the water quality challenges it faces. “Water pollution is one of our nation’s most critical environmental issues. According the Environmental Protection Agency, over 40 percent of our nation’s waterways is on an impaired list. This means these waterways are not safe for human health. The EPA counts stormwater runoff as the leading cause of the poor quality of our nation’s waterways,” he said.
For some years, local governments nationwide have been using AbTech’s cost effective filtration systems at the entrance of their stormdrain-sewer systems. As Rink explained, “The presence of bacteria and other harmful pathogens in stormwater, particularly after rain, poses the greatest risk. AbTech’s filtration systems, such as the Ultra-Urban® Filter with Smart Sponge technology, encapsulate and successfully remove harmful substances, including hydrocarbons, oil, grease, and other toxins, before they enter local waterways. With our newly patented antimicrobial, we can now offer cities, stormwater professionals, and industrial entities an opportunity they have never had before – to destroy dangerous disease causing microorganisms,” Rink said.
AbTech Industries, headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is dedicated to developing innovative clean water solutions to meet community and industrial needs. It produces Best Management Practice (BMP) equipment for nonpoint source pollution and storm water control, filters for storm drains and catch basins, and devices that skim and capture oil from still or flowing water. AbTechÂ’s products are based on its proprietary polymer-based filtration material thatÂ’s fully recyclable and provides a complete, closed-loop solution for removing pollutants from water. AbTech filtration systems are currently filtering contaminates from urban and stormwater runoff in 27 states.
”We believe we have the most technologically advanced treatment solution to water pollution. We are dedicated to helping businesses and municipalities achieve their clean water goals—creating a healthy environment for citizens and wildlife, while meeting clean water standards. Our products are efficient, cost-effective, and easy to maintain, ” said Rink.
Smart Sponge® technology has a unique molecular structure based on innovative polymer technologies chemically selective to hydrocarbons. Smart Sponge Plus employs an antimicrobial agent, chemically bound to the Smart Sponge polymer, which deactivates health-threatening microorganisms without chemical release or leaching. Like all of AbTech’s products, Smart Sponge Plus is fully recyclable, and it is the only non-toxic filtration system on the market that has proven to destroy bacteria at the street level. The photos, provided by Millsaps College, magnify the Smart Sponge 1,000 times showing its high porosity.
For more information, see www. abtechindustries. com or call 1-800.545.8999.
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