Nanobubble-enhanced ozone technology for residual pesticide cleaning
WaterPuris proposes using ozone nanobubble technology to remove residual pesticides from vegetables, polymeric surfaces, and agricultural equipment. The approach leverages nanobubbles' small diameter, high surface area, and low rising velocity to increase ozone dissolution and mass transfer, enabling effective degradation of hard-to-remove pesticides across agricultural and food processing applications.
Overview
WaterPuris is advancing its Exobubble nanobubble process intensification technology for residual pesticide cleaning across agricultural and food processing surfaces. The proposed solution uses ozone nanobubbles to degrade pesticide residues on vegetables, polymeric surfaces, and agricultural equipment. By combining ozone's well-established oxidation properties with the enhanced mass transfer characteristics of nanobubbles, the technology aims to deliver an effective, chemical-light cleaning approach for the agricultural sector.
The core value proposition is a compact, adaptable cleaning process that can be integrated into existing infrastructure, helping producers meet sustainability and ESG targets while reducing chemical inputs and improving food safety outcomes.
Technical specifications
- Nanobubble-enhanced ozone delivery: Nanobubbles increase dissolved ozone concentration in water compared to conventional bubble systems, enabling higher oxidation capacity for pesticide degradation.
- Enhanced mass transfer: The small diameter, high surface area, and low rising velocity of nanobubbles accelerate ozone reactivity with target contaminants.
- Broad surface applicability: Designed to treat vegetable surfaces, polymeric surfaces, and agricultural equipment.
- Degradation mechanism analysis: Mass spectroscopy will be used to investigate how hard-to-remove pesticides break down under nanobubble ozone treatment.
- Safety and environmental assessment: Toxicity estimation software (TEST) and Ecological Structure Activity Relationships (ECOSAR) will evaluate the stability and toxicity of pesticide transformation products.
- System design: Compact and adaptable configuration intended to integrate with existing agricultural and processing infrastructure.
Technology readiness level
The research is at an early-to-mid stage of development. Validation is planned over a one-year period, during which the team will systematically investigate ozone nanobubble feasibility for degrading pesticides recommended by Valent, characterize degradation pathways using mass spectroscopy, and assess transformation product toxicity. WaterPuris is seeking partners that can provide field research stations, advanced laboratory facilities, advisory services, and funding for key personnel to support this validation work. The underlying Exobubble platform has been applied across agriculture, aquaculture, food and beverage processing, mining, and oil and gas operations, providing a foundation of prior R&D experience for this new application area.
About WaterPuris
WaterPuris Inc. is a Canadian company that develops water treatment solutions centered on Exobubble, a nanobubble process intensification technology. This system utilizes the properties of nanobubbles, such as neutral buoyancy and a small negative charge, to perform tasks including particle separation, advanced oxidation, and in-situ cleaning. The technology is designed to be compact and adaptable to existing infrastructure, aiming to enhance productivity by reducing chemical and energy costs. The company provides R&D services to tailor these nanobubble solutions for various industrial applications, including agriculture, aquaculture, food and beverage processing, mining, and oil and gas operations.
The company serves industrial and specialized clients looking to meet sustainability and ESG targets by enabling effective water reuse and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. WaterPuris has engaged with various innovation ecosystems, including the Velocity incubator, and has been recognized in competitions like the AquaHacking Finals and the FAMAE Water Challenge. Furthermore, the company continues to explore advanced applications for its technology, including a research project supported by the Canadian Space Agency focused on extracting and purifying water from lunar regolith using multi-stage distillation systems.
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