blog posts

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  Carbon capture collaborations lead clean energy drive

  Jun 30, 2020 8:00 am947 views

  The Prairie Research Institute — is leading a drive to implement CO2 removal strategies, an essential step to a clean-energy future. 

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  2018 Celebration of Excellence

  Apr 12, 2018 8:00 am345 views

  On April 11, the Prairie Research Institute honored employees for their outstanding achievements and excellent work. Selection committees composed of staff from across the organization reviewed multiple strong nominations before selecting the 2018 honorees.

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  ISTC delivers Contaminants of Emerging Concern Report to Illinois General Assembly

  Feb 11, 2020 2:00 pm6 views
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  New project: biochar used to absorb excess nutrients from tile drainage

  Aug 18, 2020 11:30 am4 views

  In a new $1 million three-year project, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) researchers will develop a bioreactor and biochar-sorption-channel treatment system to remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from title drainage water, thereby reducing nutrient loss from crop fields to local waterways.

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  Safer sanitation in food and beverage manufacturing and processing

  Nov 11, 2019 2:30 pm4 views

• Nurturing a market for waste CO2

  Jan 20, 2016 10:45 am2 views
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  ISTC research included in new report on developing circular supply chains for plastics

  Apr 16, 2019 1:15 pm2 views

  A report recently released by the Center for the Circular Economy, a project of Closed Loop Partners, surveys current landscape of research focused on converting waste plastics into safe and high-quality materials, as well as the scale of opportunity for these technologies to meet demand.

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  How to safely flush plumbing systems and re-open facilities after shut-down

  May 28, 2020 11:45 am2 views

  The domestic plumbing systems in any building or part of a building that has been shut down or has experienced reduced use due to COVID-19 policies are at risk for causing disease and death due to the effects of increased water age, including corrosion and growth of bacteria. Before re-opening any such building, take steps to minimize these risks.

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  New project is set to find ways to manage emerging contaminants

  Aug 17, 2020 11:45 am2 views

  Scientists at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) are tackling the issue of pharmaceutical contaminants from irrigation with rural sewage effluents in a newly funded project.

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  Microplastics may increase the risk of PFAS entering the Lake Michigan food web

  Jan 7, 2020 10:00 am0 views

  ISTC researcher John Scott led a team of researchers to understand the extent to which PFAS and other contaminants attach to microplastics in waterways.

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  Institutional Water Treatment program now tests for bacterium causing Legionnaires’ disease

  Jan 27, 2020 9:00 am0 views

  ISTC's Institutional Water Treatment (IWT) program now offers testing of water sources for Legionella, the bacterium that causes Legionnaires’ disease. 

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  ISTC develops greener biofuels process

  Jan 31, 2020 9:45 am0 views

  Kirtika Kohli and BK Sharma have been busy in the lab creating a greener delignification method for biofuels refinery processes. Many see biofuels as a viable alternative to fossil fuels because they are renewable and can reduce carbon emissions through plant growth. However, biomass needs to be processed before it can be converted to biofuels.

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  Team is scaling up biochar system for Fulton County field test

  Feb 28, 2020 2:00 pm0 views

  Illinois Sustainable Technology Center scientist Wei Zheng and colleagues are creating a designer carbon-based biochar that captures phosphorus from tile drain runoff water and recycles it in soils to improve crop growth.

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  ISTC Technical Assistance Program helps Spraying Systems Co. communicate sustainability goals

  Apr 30, 2019 1:15 pm0 views

  ISTC’s Technical Assistance Program led a project at Spraying Systems Co. to help them define and communicate their sustainability goals using Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards.

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  Could Legionnaires' bacteria lurk in idled buildings?

  May 1, 2020 5:00 pm0 views

  Many businesses are closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and some building managers have shut off water and air conditioning to conserve resources. Warmth and lack of clean water flow can contribute to the growth of potentially dangerous microbes, including the bacteria that contribute to Legionnaires’ disease. ISTC chemist and industrial water treatment specialist Jeremy Overmann spoke with the News Bureau's Diana Yates about the problem and potential solutions.

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  Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel, researchers report

  Sep 16, 2019 2:30 pm0 views