This is our very first company blog post! We plan to publish about 1 post a month, and every post will highlight a different area of our work. This time we shine some light on our scientific achievements 🧪🔬
What Are We Trying to Prove?
Our hypothesis is that organic matter on the bottom of the Black Sea preserves for thousands of years. This already has proof in the form of wooden ships sunken in the Black Sea that have been preserved for thousands of years. It is also well documented in the scientific literature that without oxygen, lignin does not break down.
We lead with science, and to continue validating our hypothesis, we are conducting scientific experiments to investigate the biochemical processes of organic matter in anoxic conditions. Our goal is to show that not only the organic carbon preserves for millennia, it is also perfectly safe for the environment.
What Experiments Did We Run?
Our experiments began in May 2022 in Israel's Sea of Galilee and Germany's Selker Noor. Comparing decomposition rates of plant biomass in both oxic and anoxic environments.
The Black Sea experiment began in July 2022 with the deployment of plant biomass in anoxic waters 250 meters deep. All of these experiments follow the same basic principle: divide organic matter into samples, place the samples in the water, extract samples after varying durations, and compare the dry weight before & after. Loss of mass is an indication of decomposition.
Selker Noor, Germany, May 22
Just before deployment, Black Sea, July 22
Sea of Galilee, Israel, May 22
Black Sea's second sample is out! November 22
What Have We Learned So Far?
Last month, we extracted the fourth sample from the Israeli & German experiments and the second sample from the Black Sea. Our analysis of the results leads us to the following conclusions:
Different types of biomass break down at different rates. As expected, hardwood preserves well, while “soft” plants like straw partially break down. This means that our methodology will require an accurate calculation of the removed CO2 for every type of biomass.
Plants in anoxic water preserve better. This was apparent in all types of biomass, but it was especially surprising with the “soft” plants. Our leek samples preserved their shape in anoxic water for a whole 5 months, while in oxygenated water leek disintegrated and disappeared after about 3 months.
Wood preserves the best. Being the most carbon-dense and rich in lignin, it is the first type of biomass we will pilot with. Wood is also readily recognized by our scientific committee as the existing literature on lignin breakdown is abundant. This is great for us, as we already know where to get about 10 megatons of cheap wood residue per year.
Our next experiments in the Black Sea and the lab are on their way, and be sure you'll hear about them in the future.
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