North Columbus News

U.S. Rep. Mike Carey (R-Ohio-15) announced that AA Plasma, LLC in Grove City, Ohio has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The grant is part of NIST's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and will support research to eliminate perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water supplies.

“Ohio is a hub for innovation, education, and research, and this grant will help our innovators anticipate and eliminate problems that can harm our quality of life. PFAS are dangerous compounds, and pursuing methods to eliminate any trace of them from our water supply will leave our communities better off,” Rep. Carey said. “I was proud to play a role in securing this grant and fostering innovation in Grove City and I look forward to hearing about the results the researchers find.”

The $99,970.10 NIST SBIR grant awarded to AA Plasma, LLC aims to develop a dielectric barrier discharge plasma system for on-site regeneration of granular activated carbon contaminated with PFAS. This technology is designed to both regenerate the carbon material used in filtration systems and destroy the harmful PFAS compounds it absorbs, reducing reliance on energy-intensive or landfill disposal methods.

Researchers plan to optimize several aspects of the plasma process—including voltage, frequency, and residence time—to improve efficiency in breaking down PFAS chemicals. The proposed system also allows continuous processing using a conveyor belt setup for potential industrial-scale applications.

Expected outcomes include establishing new industry standards for water treatment processes, supporting compliance with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, lowering operational costs for facilities handling water purification, and increasing national capacity for sustainable management of PFAS contamination.

Municipal water treatment plants, industrial filtration companies, and suppliers of granular activated carbon are among those expected to benefit from these advancements.

Mike Carey has served as the representative for Ohio’s 15th District since 2021 https://carey.house.gov/about/. He was born in Sabina, Ohio in 1971 https://ballotpedia.org/Mike_Carey_(Ohio), graduated from Ohio State University with a BA in 1993 https://ballotpedia.org/Mike_Carey_(Ohio), and currently lives in Columbus https://ballotpedia.org/Mike_Carey_(Ohio).