Source: SONATA SCIENTIFIC LLC submitted to
ULTRAHIGH EFFICIENCY ETHYLENE SCRUBBER TO INCREASE SHELF LIFE OF FRESH PRODUCE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SMALL BUSINESS GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1020368
Grant No.
2019-33610-30486
Cumulative Award Amt.
$649,923.00
Proposal No.
2019-02268
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2019
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2022
Grant Year
2019
Program Code
[8.13]- Plant Production and Protection-Engineering
Recipient Organization
SONATA SCIENTIFIC LLC
25 FRANCIS J CLARKE CIR
BETHEL,CT 068012873
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The importance of improving postharvest handling can be understood in terms of the primary impact of poor postharvest care--food loss. Technologies for improving postharvest handling focus on extending the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables while maintaining or improving upon the quality of the produce. A major achievement in prolonging produce shelf life has been the implementation of refrigeration and cold storage, which reducesrespiration and slows metabolic processes. Despite its benefits, refrigeration alone cannot combat fresh fruit and vegetable waste, particularly where it is not readily available. Even when its use is accepted as routine, lower-cost, energy-efficient approaches to improveproduce quality and extendshelf life are desired.Ethylene is a plant hormone that promotes ripening, but in large quantities, greater than 100 part per billion (ppb), it can cause over-ripening and increasesusceptibility to pathogens and senescence. Reduction of ethylene levels down to 5 ppb can dramatically extend produce storage times, suggesting precise ethylene control as a major opportunity to reduce produce refrigeration and spoilage costs. Whereas several ethylene mitigation schemes are known, they can be hazardous, compatible only with select produce, inefficient, and costly, effectively inhibiting widespread adoption.Sonata Scientific will use light-activated catalysts to oxidize ethylene in the high-humidity, low-temperature environments typical of produce storage and transportation containers to nonhazardous products already present in the produce environment, e.g., water and CO2. The technology will also be used to destroy fungal spores and other airborne pathogens that adversely affect produce quality and lifetime. These catalysts will be incorporated into purification modules that effectively couple light from energy-efficient light sources to the catalyst to maximize ethylene mineralization efficiency. The systems will be constructed and tested with fresh fruits and vegetables in cold storage environments to determine the rate of ethylene removal and the resulting enhancements to produce shelf life.This approach to ethylene mitigation will address shortcomings in currently available technology by exploiting a nontoxic approach that can be applied broadly across a wide variety of produce and floral products in cold, high-humidity storage environments. The platform technology willenablea range of efficient ethylene removal products for produce cold storage areas, transportation containers, and distribution centers. Extending the postharvest lifetime of produce translates to less food loss and greater food availability. Reducing costs and waste throughout the postharvest cycle will allow produce prices to be dropped, particularly in those areas where high prices cannot be sustained. Cost-effective, reliable ethylene control measures should encourage changes in the handling of produce throughout the postharvest cycle, including the generalized strategy of applying cold storage to all produce.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
50324992000100%
Knowledge Area
503 - Quality Maintenance in Storing and Marketing Food Products;

Subject Of Investigation
2499 - Plant research, general;

Field Of Science
2000 - Chemistry;
Goals / Objectives
Fruits and vegetables are a fundamental food resource, and prolonging their shelf life and quality is a critical challenge, especially during long-term storage and shipping. One approach to improving postharvest shelf life is to reduce the amount of ethylene in the storage environment. A plant hormone, ethylene promotes ripening, but it can also lead to a deterioration of produce quality for produce exposed to high ethylene levels. It has been shown that ethylene mitigation in the postharvest cycle will alleviate the temperature requirements for optimum produce storage, thereby decreasing costs associated with food loss and cold storage. The goal of the project is to develop a reliable, cost-effective approach to ethylene control that can be widely adopted across many parts of the postharvest cycle to prolong the storage life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The strategy relies on an oxidation catalyst and purification module designed fortypical storage environmental conditions, specifically high humidity (85-95% relative humidity) and low temperatures (30-50 °F). Project objectives are: 1) optimize a catalyst for the photooxidation of ethylene in a high-humidity, low-temperature environment with properties that translate to a reduction in energy costs for system operation; 2) develop a purification modulefor photooxidizing ethylene off-gassed from fresh fruits and vegetables under typical storage conditions; 3) fabricate a prototype ethylene scrubber for use in cold-storage systems; and 4) determine ethylene removal rates and shelf-life enhancement of fresh fruits and vegetables provided by the prototype system.
Project Methods
Throughout the project, catalyst synthesis and system design will be coupled to ethylene oxidation measurements, which will be used as an immediate feedback loop to determine the critical catalyst properties and system specifications for achieving optimum performance. Testing will occur in cold storage environments under temperatures, relative humidity, and produce loading levelsthat are typical in these areas. This approach will provide a comprehensive understanding of the performance and effectiveness of the catalyst purification system at improving fresh fruit and vegetable shelf life. Ethylene decomposition rateas a function of the storage conditions (e.g., relative humidity, temperature, produce loading) and catalyst purificationsystem; oxidation products; and the approximate lifetime of the catalysts will be determined. These results will be used to establish system scale in the various environments where it will be implemented. Success will be measured with a catalyst purification system that reduces ethylene concentrations to the lowest levels achievable and below levels known to cause a degradation in quality and shelf life (<100 ppb) in the presence of high relative humidity (85-95%) and low temperatures (30-50 °F) with operating lifetimes of at least six months.

Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:Sonata Scientific's technology will be of interest to processors, packagers, and shippers in the fresh produce supply chain and could offer a solution to many challenges they face in managing ethylene. Fresh produce is susceptible to stressors during these supply chain stages that can boost ethylene production and increase spoilage rates. Processors and packagers require solutions to manage ethylene concentrations in packaging after mechanical damage to produce has occurred. Additionally, changes in water content and ripening rates can both impact ethylene production. Additionally, mixed storage areas, including distribution centers, walk-in coolers, and food banks, could benefit from Sonata Scientific's technology, which would enhance the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables and reduce food waste. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Sonata Scientific has applied light-activated catalysts to remove ethylene in the high-humidity, low-temperature environments typical of produce storage and transportation. These photocatalysts efficiently convert ethylene to nonhazardous products already present in the produce environment, e.g., water and CO2. By engineering its photocatalysts to preferentially oxidize ethylene in the presence of high humidity, Sonata Scientific has enhanced the ethylene removal efficiency of its photocatalysts by nearly 10X. These materials also reduce ethylene levels in the environment to less than 100 ppb. This value is an important performance metric, as researchers have demonstrated significant improvement in shelf life and storage times when ethylene levels are maintained below 100 ppb. This approach to ethylene mitigation will address shortcomings in currently available technologies by exploiting a nontoxic approach that can be applied across a wide variety of produce and floral products in cold, high-humidity storage environments. Extending the postharvest lifetime of produce translates to less food loss and greater food availability, and maintaining ethylene levels below 100 ppb in storage areas is key to maximizing food quality at longer lifetimes. The goal of this program is to develop a reliable, cost-effective approach to ethylene control that can be widely adopted across many parts of the postharvest cycle to prolong the storage life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The strategy for achieving this goal comprises four objectives. Objective 1. Optimize a catalyst for the photooxidation of ethylene in a high-humidity, low-temperature environment with properties that translate to a reduction in energy costs for system operation. In this program, catalysts were optimized with respect to their mineralization efficiency for both ethylene and other volatile organic chemicals that may be present in the storage environments (e.g., aldehydes and ketones). A key outcome is the identification of critical catalyst properties that provide the necessary ethylene removal efficiency at high relative humidity and low temperatures. Objective 2. Develop a purification module for photooxidizing ethylene off-gassed from fresh fruits and vegetables under typical storage conditions. The developed alpha purification module was used to determine the shelf life improvement for broccoli in an environment where ethylene is a contaminant. Ethylene removal extends shelf life by nearly 2X, as judged by premature yellowing of the broccoli in the environment where ethylene was not removed. The purification module was also able to reduce the amount of mold that formed on bread in humidified environments. Third-party testing of the alpha system for the removal of airborne mold spores showed 99+% removal in a single-pass. The removal of airborne mold spores is an important attribute of the technology, as airborne mold is a significant contributor to reduced fresh fruit and vegetable shelf life. A key outcome is the development of the technology to effectively mitigatea variety of VOCs and airborne mold spores. Objective 3. Fabricate a prototype ethylene scrubber for use in cold-storage systems. Prototype systemswith flow rates 25-40X higher than labscale modules were developed to work in this application. Modeling based on several performance metrics, including the ethylene removal efficiency of the system, was used to estimate system size and power consumption for various applications in environments where the system will be utilized. A key outcome is the development of robust models to predict system operating parameters based on ethylene load,rate of ethylene production, and ethylene removal rate. Objective 4. Determine ethylene removal rates and shelf-life enhancement of fresh fruits and vegetables provided by the prototype system. Ethylene removal rates and corresponding rate constants were determined for prototype systems connected to 29 cu.ft.test chambers. These values were used to refine models for applicable systems. The ability of the technology to effectively mitigate a variety of VOCs in the environment, particularly odor molecules from fresh produce and amines from fish, was confirmed.A key outcome is the required operating conditions of the scaled system to effectively reduce ethylene levels and other VOCs in refrigerator-sized vessels with a path forward for improved effectiveness at higher flow rates.

Publications


    Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21

    Outputs
    Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, evaluations will continue on the alpha units, and the data collected will be used to optimize the prototype system with respect to required catalyst quantity, flow rate, and corresponding system size. In addition, different reactor geometries and illumination schemes will be investigated as a strategy for enhancingsystem performance. Evaluation of the technology for the removal and kill efficiency of airborne mold spores will continue. The ethylene removal capability of the prototype system will be determined to demonstrate the full effectiveness of the developed technology.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? Sonata Scientific has applied light-activated catalysts to remove ethylene in the high-humidity, low-temperature environments typical of produce storage and transportation. These photocatalysts efficiently convert ethylene to nonhazardous products already present in the produce environment, e.g., water and CO2. By engineering its photocatalysts to preferentially oxidize ethylene in the presence of high humidity, Sonata Scientific has enhanced the ethylene removal efficiency of its photocatalysts by nearly 10X. These materials also reduce ethylene levels in the environment to less than 100 ppb. This value is an important performance metric, as researchers have demonstrated significant improvement in shelf life and storage times when ethylene levels are maintained below 100 ppb. This approach to ethylene mitigation will address shortcomings in currently available technologies by exploiting a nontoxic approach that can be applied across a wide variety of produce and floral products in cold, high-humidity storage environements. Extending the postharvest lifetime of produce translates to less food loss and greater food availability, and maintaining ethylene levels below 100 ppb in storage areas is key to maximizing food quality at longer lifetimes. The goal of this program is to develop a reliable, cost-effective approach to ethylene control that can be widely adopted across many parts of the postharvest cycle to prolong the storage life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The strategy for achieving this goal comprises four objectives. Objective 1. Optimize a catalyst for the photooxidation of ethylene in a high-humidity, low-temperature environment with properties that translate to a reduction in energy costs for system operation.During this reporting period, developed catalystswere optimized with respect to their mineralization efficiency for both ethylene and other volatile organic chemicals that may be present in the storage environements (e.g., aldehydes and ketones). A key outcome is the identification of critical catalyst properties that provide the necessary ethylene removal efficiency at highrelative humidity and low temperatures. Objective 2. Develop a purification module for photooxidizing ethylene off-gassed from fresh fruits and vegetables under typical storage conditions.The developedalphapurification system was used to determine the shelf life improvement for broccoli in an environment where ethylene is a contaminant. Ethylene removal extends shelf life by nearly 2X, as judged by premature yellowing of the broccoli in the environment where ethylene was not removed. The purification module was also able to reduce the amount of mold that formed on bread in humidified environments. Third-party testing of the alpha system for the removal of airborne mold spores showed 99+% removal in a single-pass. The removal of airborne mold spores is an important attribute of the technology, as airborne mold is a significant contributor to reduced fresh fruit and vegetable shelf life. A key outcome is the effect of the technology for the removal of a variety of VOCs and mold spores. Objective 3. Fabricate a prototype ethylene scrubber for use in cold-storage systems.Work on this prototype is underway, with flow rates currently 25-40X faster than labscale units. Ojective 4. Determine ethylene removal rates and shelf-life enhancement of fresh fruits and vegetables provided by the prototype system.Data will be collected on the prototype ethylene scrubber in the next reporting period. Removal of ethylene and other key VOCs from storage areas will be evaluated.

    Publications


      Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20

      Outputs
      Target Audience: Nothing Reported Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, evaluations will continue on the alpha scale testing unit to determine the optimum conditions for ethylene removal from cold storage areas and the maximum shelf life enhancements that can be achieved during operation of the unit as a function of ethylene concentration, ethylene removal rate, and photocatalyst quantity. These data will be used to fabricate a prototype ethylene removal system for use in full-size cold-storage areas. Ethylene removal rates and shelf-life enhancement of fresh fruits and vegetables provided by the prototype system will be determined to demonstrate the full effectiveness of the developed technology.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? Sonata Scientific has applied light-activatedcatalysts to remove ethylene in the high-humidity, low-temperature environments typical of produce storage and transportation. These photocatalysts efficiently convert ethylene to nonhazardous products already present in the produce environment, e.g., water and CO2. By engineeringits photocatalysts to preferentially oxidize ethylene in the presence of high humidity, Sonata Scientific has enhanced the ethylene removal efficiency of its photocatalysts by nearly 10X.These materials also reduce ethylene levels in the environment to less than 100 ppb. This value is an important performance metric, as researchers have demonstrated significant improvement in shelf life and storage times when ethylene levels are maintained below 100 ppb. This approach to ethylene mitigation will address shortcomings in currently available technologies by exploiting a nontoxic approach that can be applied across a wide variety of produce and floral products in cold, high-humidity storage environments. Extending the postharvest lifetime of produce translates to less food loss and greater food availability, and maintaining ethylene levels below 100 ppb in storage areas is key to maximizing food quality at longer lifetimes. The goal of this program is to develop a reliable, cost-effective approach to ethylene control that can be widely adopted across many parts of the postharvest cycle to prolong the storage life of fresh fruits and vegetables. The strategy for achieving this goal comprisesfour objectives: Objective 1. Optimize a catalyst for the photooxidation of ethylene in a high-humidity, low-temperature environment with properties that translate to a reduction in energy costs for system operation. During this reporting period, more than 60 new photocatalysts were prepared and evaluated for ethylene loss and ethylene removal rate in the presence of high relative humidity.Photocatalyst modifications resulted in a 10X improvement in quantity of ethylene removed from a humidified air stream at room temperature, and ethylene concentrations could be mitigated to below 100 ppb with the modified photocatalysts. In contrast, baseline photocatalysts have been ineffective at consistently reducing ethylene levels below 500 ppb. A key outcome is that cost-effective modifications to the photocatalyst lead to significant enhancement in the amount of ethylene that can be removed from a humidifiied space, forming the basis of a more efficientethylene mitigation system. Objective 2: Develop a purification module for photooxidizing ethylene off-gassed from fresh fruits and vegetables under typical storage conditions. An alpha purification system has been developed for measuring ethylene removal rates from small-scale, variable-temperature storage areas. Preliminary room-temperature testing in high humidity has shown ethylene removal rates in modified photocatalysts at a nearly 50% increase over the standard photocatalyst. Work will continue in cold storage units using both manufactured ethylene concentrations and fresh fruitand vegetabletest subjects to evaluate the increase in produce shelf life as an effect of ethylene concentration, ethylene removal rate, and catalyst quantity. A key outcome is the effect of other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)in the storage area (e.g., produce odor molecules)on the extent and rate of ethylene removal. Objective 3: Fabricate a prototype ethylene scrubber for use in cold-storage systems. Work on this prototype ethylene scrubbing unit will commence once data is collected on the alpha systems, which will be used to predict critical system size as a function of storage area. Objective 4: Determine ethylene removal rates and shelf-life enhancement of fresh fruits and vegetables provided by the prototype system. Data will be collected on the prototype ethylene scrubber once it is complete and implemented in the critical environments.

      Publications