ARBOK Anti-Mucilage

Overview

ARBOK Anti-Mucilage is an integrated, shore-based environmental remediation system designed to combat two critical marine threats: mucilage outbreaks and microplastic contamination. Developed in response to the recurring ecological crises in semi-enclosed seas — particularly the Sea of Marmara — this modular technology enables local governments, port authorities, and coastal industries to address contamination without reliance on centralized wastewater infrastructure. Marine mucilage ("sea snot") is a gelatinous organic mass resulting from eutrophication, rising sea temperatures, and excessive nutrient runoff; its rapid formation suffocates marine life, blocks sunlight, and contributes to hypoxic zones. Simultaneously, microplastics accumulate in coastal waters, infiltrating marine food chains. Conventional mitigation technologies fail to address both contaminants without producing brine, chemical residue, or large volumes of sludge. ARBOK Anti-Mucilage is a compact, mobile, zero-waste treatment platform that processes contaminated seawater into clean freshwater, technical salt, and dry-stabilized organic and plastic fractions.

Applications

Single-point municipal remediation up to regional coastal protection strategies; semi-enclosed seas subject to mucilage outbreaks (Sea of Marmara); microplastic removal in coastal waters. Users: local governments, port authorities, coastal industries, public utilities. Initial deployment sites in Türkiye under coordination.

Operating Principle

The system is based on a three-stream separation model.

1. Gelatinous organic mass (mucilage): mechanically separated through low-pressure skimming and vacuum transfer; stabilized via controlled drying and particle-size reduction; output as inert, odorless Dry Organic Component (DOC).
2. Microplastic capture: achieved through multi-stage filtration; captures particles down to ~100 nm (ultrafine exclusion under development); final product is a dry, chemically neutral polymer powder, classified for safe disposal or potential recycling.
3. Water stream processing: seawater is filtered and desalinated; final product is clean water (technical or potable grade depending on configuration); salts and minerals are crystallized and collected as dry technical salt.

Separation of microplastics occurs in the dry phase. The process is zero-brine and zero-liquid-sludge.

Key Parameters

| Parameter | Value |

|---|---|

| Core module capacity | 200 m³/day (~73,000 m³/year) |

| Maximum configuration | Up to 14 modules = 1,000,000 m³/year |

| Energy consumption | 1–2 kWh/m³ |

| Water recovery | ~95% per cubic meter |

| Salt recovery | ~35 kg technical-grade salt per m³ processed |

| DOC recovery | ~1.5 kg per m³ |

| Microplastic removal | 100% for particles >100 nm |

| Emissions / residue | None (zero-brine, zero-liquid-sludge) |

| Deployment time | Containerized installation deployable in under 8 weeks |

| Full-scale salt yield | ~35,000 tons/year |

| Full-scale DOC yield | ~1,500 tons/year |

| Full-scale microplastics extracted | >10 tons/year (est.) |

Architecture and Components

Low-pressure skimming and vacuum transfer stage for mucilage; controlled drying and particle-size reduction unit producing DOC; multi-stage microplastic filtration; seawater filtration and desalination train; salt crystallization and collection. Self-contained containerized installation; mobile variants exist (truck- or barge-mounted) for rapid response. Powered by grid or genset. Fully modular architecture scaling from one to 14 modules.

Advantages

Zero-waste design: no brine, sludge, or chemical residue. Modular and mobile: adaptable to any coastal site, easily scaled. Multi-contaminant handling: tackles both mucilage and microplastics in a single pass. Rapid deployment: pilot can be operational in under 6 months. Economic efficiency: generates value from waste, low OPEX. Policy synergy: supports EU and UN marine conservation directives (SDG 14, MSFD). Local resilience: removes dependency on central treatment plants or foreign technology.

Integrations

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Deployment & Operation

Self-contained containerized installation deployable in under 8 weeks; pilot operational in under 6 months. Requires shoreline access, stable logistics, and marine data. Powered by grid or genset. Mobile truck- or barge-mounted variants available for rapid response. Contracting under a BOOM (Build-Own-Operate-Maintain) model.

TRL

TRL 6–7 — Pilot module developed and tested in controlled marine environment. Full-scale deployment architecture designed. Legal contracting structure (BOOM model) finalized. Initial deployment sites in Türkiye under coordination.

Market Potential

Semi-enclosed seas and coastal zones affected by mucilage and microplastic contamination; municipalities, port authorities, and coastal industry. Aligned with EU and UN marine conservation directives (SDG 14, MSFD). Additional upside from ESG-linked financing and environmental credits.

Typical Project Economics

Revenue model (BOOM — Build-Own-Operate-Maintain): treatment fee $5 per m³ of seawater processed; mandatory product buyback — salt at $20/ton (municipality or third party), DOC at $100/ton (agriculture, composting, biochar markets).

Annual revenue potential at full deployment: water treatment $5,000,000; salt $700,000; DOC $150,000; total annual gross revenue $5.85M.

Operational costs (ARBOK): energy $0.12–0.24/m³ (at $0.12/kWh); maintenance and labor ~$0.50/m³; total OPEX at full scale ~$0.62–0.74M/year.

Net operating profit ~$5.1M/year; break-even under 2 years per site.

Risk Factors

Site-specific deployment: requires shoreline access, stable logistics, and marine data. Microplastics below 100 nm are beyond current separation efficiency (R&D underway). Product reuse regulation: DOC and salt may need local environmental approval. Political coordination: requires cooperation from municipal authorities and public utilities.

Related Technologies

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