# Semi-continuous, on-line monitoring of selenium in coal-fired power plant waste water

> **NIH NIH R44** · ONDAVIA, INC. · 2020 · $500,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The proposed Phase II SBIR Project will convert our successful Phase I feasibility study into a prototype
system for on-line, real-time monitoring of selenium in coal-fired power plant waste water. As an
innovator in advanced chemical analysis, OndaVia is positioned to be the provider of choice for
companies demanding fast, accurate water testing. The OndaVia analysis system consists of test kits
designed for fast, easy, laboratory-grade water analysis. These kits couple with an instrument that scans
the sample to determine contaminant concentrations. Results are presented simply to the user—with
calibration-free analysis performed over a wide concentration range. This project represents a beach-head
market opportunity for a platform technology capable of measuring a wide-range of metals in water.
The specific Phase II goal is to develop, evaluate, and validate our innovative technology into an online,
autonomous selenium analysis platform, enabling Phase III commercial activities. During the Phase I
project, OndaVia demonstrated the feasibility of semi-continuous selenium analysis in coal-fired power
plant waste water, achieving a 2.5-ppb minimum detection limit in real-world water samples. Our auto-
calibrating, modular system overcomes the challenges faced by other on-line systems using an optical
method coupled with an internal standard to determine selenium concentration. With the further capability
to speciate selenium, and future potential to measure arsenic and nitrate with the sample platform,
OndaVia’s approach addresses the needs of industry in the years to come.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10081220
- **Project number:** 1R44ES032413-01
- **Recipient organization:** ONDAVIA, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Mark C Peterman
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $500,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10081220

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10081220, Semi-continuous, on-line monitoring of selenium in coal-fired power plant waste water (1R44ES032413-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10081220. Licensed CC0.

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