Letter in support to research projects and results of Sergei Ostroumov, from Probe International

Probe International, Inc.

Half Moon Bay, Auckland, New Zealand

Wilmington, DE and Lorain, OH, USA;

http://5bio5.blogspot.com/2017/06/letter-in-support-to-research-projects.html

February 20, 2015

Dear Committee members,

I write this letter to support Sergei Ostroumov as candidate for Protection of the Environment Prize, 2016 (ENI Awards 2016).  By pier review I am qualified to do so and my credentials can be verified on various web sites including PubMed, research gate and searching Google for Frank B. Gelder (or Frank Gelder) and various key word delimiters (ecology, environment, water pollution, HIV, vaccine, adjuvant and others).

I have diligently reviewed Dr. Ostroumov’s accomplishments during the last five years. In addition, I have known and communicated with Dr. Ostroumov throughout this period. He has been extremely helpful in providing methods, which were implemented when appropriate, with my international students during field expeditions to equatorial Africa. Dr. Ostroumov has discovered multiple methods for identifying and tracking ecological changes and has crossed the boundary implementing novel methods that forestall and may reverse the environmentally damaging effects of certain pollutants.

I will now address each criterion for prize giving separately.

• The scientific relevance and the research’ innovation level:

He created a first holistic, integrated theory of multiple roles of aquatic organisms (aquatic biota, biological community) in water quality improvement in water bodies and streams (theory of biological water self-purification). He invented a new scientific term for the natural mechanism of aquatic ecosystem that maintain and improves water quality, namely, the new scientific word 'biomachinery'. Moreover he discovered that that this valuable biomachinery can be damaged and inactivated by low, sublethal concentrations of some water pollutants, e.g., synthetic surfactants and detergents. His research innovation level is recognized by international scientific community, his publications were cited in all parts of the world including Europe (U.K., Frand, Germany, Netherlands et al.), North America (U.S.), Asia (China, India, Pakistan et al.), Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, et al.), Australia and New Zealand.

• The potentiality of applications development:

Experts see at least three areas of applications of his results.

(1) He got some very interesting new data on how individual biological species of plants and animals are involved in water quality improvement. As of plants, he developed a new unique method to measure tolerance of plants to toxic chemicals, and to determine the acceptable loads of chemical pollutants on water system with the green plants. This is a basis to improve and to exploit and to design technological systems, artificial plant communities to treat polluted water.

(2) He discovered new facts of how biomass and biogenic materials derived from biomass can uptake toxic chemicals from water. This sorption is sometimes called biosorption. What's more, he put these individual facts into a consistent logical system with other biological mechanisms of water decontamination. These facts and their system will be useful for future technologies of water treatment.

(3) His work helps in formulating absolutely new insightful criteria, priorities and requirements in protection of the environment. Until now the current criteria and priorities were not effective. The new priorities (protection of this valuable ecosystem service in water purification, which means attention to function of biological communities) will change and improve the practical work on protection of biodiversity and protection and management of water resourses.

• The adequacy between technological and economical aspects:

Water quality is one of key issues when economical aspects of natural resources are considered. Traditional water treatmen is very expensive and often it is not effective or sufficient. The improvements on the basis of Sergei's research will contribute in a useful way.

• The impact on the energy system:

Traditional water treatment , as it was mentioned above, demands a gigantic amount of energy. The use of biological mechanisms (biomachinery) that Sergei Ostroumov discovered is based on natural processes (green plants growth, sorption by biomass and biogenc materials, waster filtration by aquatic invertebrate animals) that do not demand external energy from man-made sourses. His studies lead to mor eefficient use of natural ecosystems and shows how to constract artificial ecosystems to treat water. His contribution will help to save significan amont of energy.

Another use of his results is better treatment of waste waters generated by oil refinery industry. This industry generate waste water polluted with oil and hydrocarbons. Traditional water treatment of these wastewater (e.g. mechanical filtration) leads to partial purification of these waters. However this purification is not sufficient. There were no cheap efficient methods to treat these water until now. Sergei's results will help to develop a new cheap efficient method to treat these type of wastewaters.

Results of this researcher are really innovative and will help in several aspects of solving practical issues.

Therefore I support Dr. Sergei Ostroumov as a suitable and excellent candidature for Eni Protection of the Environment Prize 2016.

Signature  

on behalf of

Probe International, Inc.