A University of Toledo team of five civil engineering students recently placed third out of 10 finalists in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2023 Innovation Contest in Chicago with their innovation, “Using Olivine to Alleviate Algal Blooms for Clean Water for the World.”
The premise of the competition is to develop an innovation that addresses one of the following three ASCE Report card topics: Drinking Water, Energy and Roads. There is also a direct connection to the UN Sustainability Goals. Participating teams develop and pitch their innovation to the judges and at a minimum provide proof-of-concept for its feasibility and innovative potential in the next 10-20 years or more. The closer the innovation is to having a proof of concept and a business plan, the more persuasive the result.
From left, junior Kalvin Tenney, senior Holden Cobb, junior and team captain Carrie Martin, senior Griffin Miller and senior Jason Waisner.
“Our team was inspired by Lake Erie and the problems our local communities have had in the past because of harmful algal blooms,” said Carrie Martin, team captain and a junior studying civil engineering. “Through the erosion process of a naturally occurring rock, olivine, (which is often a byproduct of mines), we found a way to capture CO2. By placing our innovation in a high-flow area of waterways (such as the base of dams) we suggest its potential to speed up the erosion process and therefore the capture of CO2. Lowering the excessive amount of CO2 in waterways could lower the impact or chances of a harmful algal bloom.”
The other four team members: seniors Kalvin Tenney, Jason Waisner and Griffin Miller and junior Holden Cobb.
This three-part competition included a regional level that took place at Wayne State University in April. The second level was an online semi-finals competition and the third and final level of the competition was at the National ASCE Convention. The Innovation Contest was the only student-level competition at the national convention.
The nine other teams that made the national/international level: Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, North Carolina A&T State University, California Polytechnic State University, San Louis Obispo, Florida A&M University in partnership with Florida State University, Morgan State University, Vanderbilt University, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Saint Luis University.
First place in the competition went to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and second place went to Morgan State University.
