Innovative Turbulence Technology to Prevent Zebra Mussel Byssal Thread Attachment

In 2011, an invasion of zebra mussels caused a shutdown of a water pipeline in the Dallas area, exacerbating water shortages during a drought year and increasing water restrictions. The cost of combating these pests at power plants and other water-consuming facilities is significant, though the extent of the damage remains debated.

The Center for Invasive Species Research at the University of California, Riverside, reports that the annual cost of managing zebra mussels in the Great Lakes exceeds $500 million. A more conservative estimate puts the total economic impact at $267 million for electric generation and water-treatment facilities in the United States from 1989 to 2004. A 2009 study by the US Department of State projected the invasion could cost a staggering $3.1 billion over the next decade.

Zebra mussels, with their unique ability to attach to almost any surface, including sand, silt, and rocks, pose a significant threat. Juveniles, in particular, show a preference for harder, rockier substrates. They use a byssus, a bundle of filaments secreted by bivalve molluscs, to attach to solid surfaces, including water infrastructure like pipes and tanks. These byssal threads are remarkably strong, capable of withstanding tidal action and keeping the mussels firmly attached.

Barrier Flow Technology (BFT) is developing proprietary, innovative technology that uses turbulence at the infrastructure interface zone (pipe walls) to prevent mussel byssal thread attachment. This offers a promising solution to this persistent problem.

Check out this mussel thread production - research video (McGill University): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X5A0aZvRuI