This year’s projects focus on air and climate, manufacturing, toxic chemicals, water, building materials, and homeland security research

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced almost $2 million to 19 small businesses nationwide to develop and commercialize technologies that tackle critical environmental problems.

“Small businesses today are revolutionizing the tools available to protect human health and the environment,” said EPA Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator Thomas A. Burke. “Their technologies are creating new innovative solutions while ensuring a commitment to environmental sustainability.”

Each of the 19 companies will receive a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract for up to $100,000 to develop their green technology. When the project is commercially viable, the companies will be eligible to apply for a Phase II contract of up to $300,000 to develop and commercialize their technology for the marketplace.

The following companies are receiving a phase I SBIR contract:

Advanced Recovery and Recycling, LLC, New York, for recycling circuit board components to reduce electronic waste in landfills.

Industrial Microbes, Inc., California, for reducing carbon pollution in chemical manufacturing using a low-cost biological solution.

SioTeX Corporation, Texas, for reducing industrial processing pollution by harvesting silica from rice hulls.

MicroChemica, LLC, Colorado, for designing a microchip system that analyzes and monitors airborne particles.

Waddan Systems, LLC, California, for developing a lower cost, sensor for simultaneous detection of multiple air pollutants for leak detection and air quality monitoring.

3D Array Technology, LLC, Connecticut, for manufacturing low-cost, ultra-efficient and robust nano-air filters to capture pollution from vehicles.

Advanced Technologies & Testing Laboratories, Inc., Florida, for designing a self-regenerative air filter that converts harmful substances in the air into water and carbon dioxide.

Faraday Technologies, Inc., Ohio, for developing a cyanide-free bath to treat printed circuit boards.

TIAX, LLC, Massachusetts, for creating an environmentally benign, stain-resistant coating for textiles.

TDA Research, Inc., Colorado, for developing a cheaper and greener polyurethane coating for the paint industry.

dTec Systems, LLC, Washington, for recovering excess nutrients from wastewater at wastewater treatment plants.

Green Technologies, LLC, Florida, for a sustainable nutrient removal, recovery and conversion system.

LJJW Aquasolution, LLC, Washington, for a novel nutrient recovery system from wastewater.

Physical Optics Corporation, California, for designing a regenerative desalination system for small drinking water systems.

Sporian Microsystems, Inc., Colorado, for developing an in-line monitoring system that better detects a range of contaminants in drinking water.

Metna Co., Michigan, for developing a new, sustainable and low-cost type of concrete with improved durability.

Bio-Adhesive Alliance, Inc., North Carolina, for converting and re purposing agricultural waste with recycled roof shingles for use in pavement construction.

Precision Combustion, Connecticut, for developing a re-generable high efficiency filter technology for direct removal of gaseous pollutants from indoor air.

SurfPlasma, Inc., Florida, for developing a novel method for pathogen-removal in water pipes.

EPA will be e soliciting the next round of SBIR Phase I awards later in Sept. 2015.

Information about the EPA SBIR Phase I awards: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir2015phase1

Information about the EPA SBIR Program: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/sbir/

Information about the SBIR Program across the Federal Government: https://www.sbir.gov/