USF Available Technologies
Ammonia Removal in Freshwater
and Saltwater Systems
R
esearchers at the University of South Florida have devel-
ADVANTAGES:
oped a novel ammonia absorption product that is mainly
used for preserving fresh caught fish and bait.
Freshwater and saltwater fishing are some of the most popular
outdoor activities in the United States and throughout the world.
Bait and caught fish are often kept fresh by placing them in a bucket, livewell, or closed system. An aeration pump is often installed to
replenish dissolved oxygen levels in the water because the volume

User-friendly

Sustainable

Affordable
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Extended life expectancy of stored fish
and bait
of water is limited in these closed systems. While aeration systems
may maintain oxygen levels in the water to sustain the fish, other
contaminates may build up in the closed system and poison the fish.
For example, waste products discharged by the fish may increase
ammonia concentration in the water and may build to levels that
will kill the fish despite an adequate level of dissolved oxygen in the
Natural Ammonia-Absorption Product for
Preserving Caught Fish and Bait
water. Traditional methods to control ammonia in these types of
closed systems include lowering the pH of the water or introducing
new water to the system (that is, diluting the ammonia concentration). These rudimentary methods are not only expensive, they are
also cumbersome and as a result, there is a need for system and
method that can sustainably reduce the ammonia level in fresh and
seawater systems and remain cost effective.
USF inventors have developed a user friendly method for controlling the levels of ammonia while preserving bait and stored fish in
fresh and sea water using natural materials. This is achieved
through a treated, functionalized zeolite, specifically chabazite,
which is a microporous mineral compound with a high ammonium
absorption capacity. Chabazite is readily available in many areas
around the world and its porous structure can accommodate a wide
X-Ray diffraction plot of Chabazite pretreated
using freshwater (top) and 2M NaCl (bottom)
variety of cations such as Na+, Ca+, K+, and Mg+.
Tech ID # 14B165
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