# Bioinspired Green Glycolipids as Fugitive Dust Mitigation Agents

> **NIH NIH R43** · GLYCOSURF, INC. · 2022 · $173,075

## Abstract

Project Summary
Ambient air pollution is a leading contributor to global disease burden that increases morbidity and mortality, and
it accounted for 4.2 million deaths in 2015. Mineral dusts are a constituent of total atmospheric particulate matter
that affect global biogeochemical cycles, pollute water bodies and air masses, and impact global climate. Dust
presents physical (i.e., reduced visibility and explosive mixtures) and health hazards, particularly affecting
cardiovascular and respiratory health. Mining generates dust in virtually every step of the mining process:
excavating, blasting, stockpiling, crushing, grinding, and transport. Dust generated from both modern and legacy
mining operations is known to be an exposure route for other contaminants (e.g. arsenic and lead). To protect
human and environmental health from mining related dusts, it is important to develop innovative,
environmentally-compatible technologies capable of mitigating dust emissions. Preliminary data has
demonstrated glycolipid surfactants are effective dust suppressants with efficacy equal to or better than currently
available products. Though a variety of dust suppression products are commercially available, disadvantages
provide market opportunities that new technologies can address: (i) they are often corrosive to machinery, (ii)
they can cause potential risks to human health due to hazardous components, and (iii) they have short-term
effectiveness due to the fragility of the protection layer that can be easily disrupted by environmental factors,
such as strong wind. The overall goal of this Phase I SBIR is to demonstrate the commercial potential for a next
generation green dust suppression technology that combines GlycoSurf’s proprietary glycolipid surfactants with
cellulose polymers to develop marketable dust suppression formulations for two applications: mine tailings that
are not subject to mechanical disturbance and unpaved haul roads that undergo substantial mechanical
disturbance. The Phase 1 Aims are two-fold. In Aim 1, unique formulations of glycolipids, alone and in
combination with cellulose polymers, will be generated with target performance parameters suitable for tailings
and unpaved road applications. In Aim 2, these formulations will be tested for dust suppression efficacy and
resistance to environmental factors such as UV radiation, precipitation, and high temperature. The stability of
glycolipid treatments will also be assessed against mechanical disruption via compression testing. A step-wise
testing process will be used to develop formulations that achieve a Good Air Quality Index as defined by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Successful completion of this project will result in the identification of
candidate formulations with potential for marketability. These candidate products will subsequently undergo field
testing during Phase II research to demonstrate their efficacy protecting environmental and human health under
real-world con...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10484307
- **Project number:** 1R43ES034319-01
- **Recipient organization:** GLYCOSURF, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Chett J Boxley
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $173,075
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-24 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10484307

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10484307, Bioinspired Green Glycolipids as Fugitive Dust Mitigation Agents (1R43ES034319-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10484307. Licensed CC0.

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