On a quiet morning in Washington, D.C., the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool shimmered under the spring sun—its waters finally clear after a stubborn algae bloom had turned it green. The fix? An invisible army of nanobubbles, each no wider than 100 nanometers, deployed using ozone-infused technology to restore balance to the iconic landmark’s ecosystem. While the U.S. Department of the Interior led the effort, the science behind it has been advanced by researchers like Wen Zhang, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. His lab, the AI-Enabled Advanced Materials and Systems for Environment and Agriculture Laboratory, has pioneered nanobubble applications that are now being tested from urban fountains to large lakes.
Harmful algal blooms, fueled by warm temperatures and nutrient runoff, threaten water quality across the U.S., from Lake Okeechobee to the Great Lakes. Traditional treatments often rely on chemical algaecides that can harm aquatic life or provide only temporary relief. Nanobubbles offer a different path. When infused with oxygen, they gently boost dissolved oxygen levels, encouraging beneficial bacteria to outcompete algae for nutrients. But when charged with ozone—an aggressive oxidant—they act like microscopic scrubbers, rupturing algal cells and clearing water with remarkable speed. This dual capability makes them a versatile tool, especially in high-visibility, ecologically sensitive areas like the Reflecting Pool.
Zhang’s patented technology is already in use through PureNanoTech, an NJIT-supported startup commercializing nanobubble generation systems for research and industrial applications. Field pilots have demonstrated success far beyond D.C.: at Port Mayaca Lock on Lake Okeechobee, in Ohio’s Lake Newport, and in Constitution Gardens, where NOAA documented improved water clarity and reduced pathogens in 2020. These are not isolated experiments. Over the past decade, nanobubble systems have moved from lab benches to real-world deployments, with recent projects reporting odor control, bacterial reduction, and sustained water quality improvements. The technology’s staying power depends on site-specific factors—nutrient loads, water flow, and ongoing maintenance—but its ability to deliver both rapid results and long-term ecological support is reshaping how cities manage urban water.
What sets nanobubbles apart is their persistence. Unlike larger bubbles that rise and burst in seconds, nanobubbles can remain suspended for days, increasing contact time with contaminants. And because they can be tailored—using oxygen for prevention, ozone for emergency response—they fit into broader water management strategies. While not a silver bullet, they represent a shift toward smarter, more adaptive environmental tools.
As climate change intensifies algal blooms and urban water systems face growing stress, technologies like nanobubbles offer a glimpse of cleaner, more resilient futures—not just in memorials, but in the lakes, rivers, and reservoirs that sustain communities.