UV light may be invasive weed killer at Tahoe
John J. Paoluccio uses weeds from Lake Tahoe to test his UV mechanism. Photos/Provided
By Kathryn Reed
Ultraviolet light might be the answer to ridding Lake Tahoe of milfoil and other invasive weeds.
In controlled lab tests the box like device has been effective at killing various weeds that are not native to Tahoe and that have become a problem.
John J. Paoluccio, president of Inventive Resources Inc., is presenting his mechanism this morning to the Near Shore Agency Working Group at a meeting on the South Shore. Regulatory agencies will be there as well as scientists from UNR and UC Davis.
“TRPA is certainly open to looking at any and all potential approaches to fighting AIS at Lake Tahoe, but we will also look to our colleagues in the science and research community for their expert guidance to determine what tools will be the most effective on a location-by-location basis,” Tom Lotshaw with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency told Lake Tahoe News.
Paoluccio has used Lake Tahoe water and five species of plants from here to test his apparatus in his lab in the Central Valley. He’s been able to kill weeds at a depth of 30 feet.
“This technique can be turned on and off,” Paoluccio told Lake Tahoe News. “Herbicides are like a bowl. They will not be forgiving, especially if there is an accident.”
His firm’s main focus is water treatment devices, some of which are being used in the basin.
Paoluccio is hoping regulatory agencies will allow him to test his product before any chemicals are used in the lake. Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board has OK’d the use of herbicides in Lake Tahoe on a case-by-case basis.
Ultraviolet is John J. Paoluccio’s answer to eradicating invasive plants from Lake Tahoe. Photo/Provided
The Tahoe Keys Property Association spent a quarter million dollars to study long-term eradication plans. Part of the plan includes chemicals. Today TKPOA spends about $400,000 a year on a harvester that in part spreads the milfoil through the channels of the South Lake Tahoe neighborhood, never really doing anything more than mowing the spindly weed.
When the Keys did its study Paoluccio’s technique was not part of the mix because it wasn’t available.
However, Paoluccio has been working with ultraviolet light for about 10 years. His first creation was to use the light in caves to kill microorganisms that were degrading the rocks.
He then saw the Keys’ harvester and figured there had to be a better way to do things in Tahoe. This led to the start of his experiment. As a second homeowner in Tahoe, the interest is also personal.
Paoluccio, who is a Lakeside Water District customer, has seen the milfoil choke that marina, just not to the extent of the Keys.
Lakeside Water District, which has 150 customers near the state line in South Lake Tahoe, is concerned any chemical application at the Keys would negatively impact its water supply. All of Lakeside’s water is drawn from the lake.
“What we are trying to do is slow down, if not stop permanently, the effort that is going on at the Keys to use herbicides,” Andy Engelhardt, vice president of Lakeside Park Association, told Lake Tahoe News. His group wants to be the test site for Paoluccio’s creation.
Paoluccio said to treat Lakeside Marina with his device it would take about 30 days, 10 hours a day.
The light damages the DNA and cell structure of the aquatic invasive weeds. This stops reproduction and eliminates the weed in a few days.
“The UV light is basically burning the plants,” Paoluccio said.
A patent on the mechanism is pending.
It can be applied either by dropping a box like device that resembles how an umbrella works over the infested area or using a mat. The latter would be good to reach under docks.
Paoluccio said noise could be used to deter fish from that area so the light would not affect them. With the shield over the light, it would not be reaching beyond the designated area.
Before a pilot project were to be implemented Paoluccio said he would need to secure funding to build the appropriate mechanism.
A very interesting and innovative approach that needs to be tested. I hope it works.
Hopefully this will prove to be a more sensible and safer alternative than pouring weed killer/poisonous chemicals into Lake Tahoe.
Wow. Great approach hope that he gets the thumbs up to test this in the lake and funding to test this. I hope it works in this way! We need to protect our lake from chemicals. Uv light is already commonly used in water treatment/ disinfection.
These are the innovative ideas we need. Lake Tahoe should be leading the way in non chemical aquatic weed management. They’ll never be able to put enough herbicides in the water to eliminate the weeds this UV light has a chance a really killing them quickly. Let’s hope this project can get the funding it needs to test.
Correction on third sentence. Should read: the Nearshore Aquatic Weeds Working Group
Well finally a different approach to the weed problem.
I have repeatedly posted my comments here in reference to the “Solar bee” company’s devices that effectively killed large areas of millfoil in the TKM lagoons.
These solar powered devices essentially moved water from the lagoon bottom to the top creating a moving coloum of water that actually killed the milfoil.
There were 5 such devices operating in the TKM lagoons , as a test , of their effectiveness..
Solar powered and non harmful wow !
Can you hear me out there ?
Please comment.
Steve.
A correction is needed in this story. The 8th paragraph, sentence immediately preceding the second photo, is not correct which reads, “Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board has OK’d the use of herbicides in Lake Tahoe on a case-by-case basis.”
That sentence is not correct because the Water Board has not issued any such approval to use aquatic herbicides in Lake Tahoe. Rather, the Water Board has recently changed its regulations to allow written proposals for using aquatic herbicides to come before the Water Board to be considered for possible approval on a case-by-case basis. Prior to the regulation change, written proposals for using aquatic herbicides were not allowed to be brought before the Water Board for consideration.
The good news here is that “people are talking”. The idea of putting herbicides (also commonly known as weed killers) in our precious lake just seems wrong. Assurances that the herbicides being considered are completely safe give me no confidence as I recall the gas additive Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether (MTBE) that was considered safe and ended up being a water pollutant and likely carcinogen. Bravo to John J. Paoluccio and the Lakeside Water Co. for encouraging innovation when it comes to solving the invasive weed problems in our lake.
the sun pumps UV light down all day, how does this change things?
A most important sentence is “hoping regulatory agencies will allow him to test his product before any chemicals are used”, as an above comment waffling on the use of herbicides is indeed appropriate. . .given that UV rays have been studied since the ’60’s, & UV’s are essentially ‘sunlight’ and are responsible for being one of the few things that ‘break-down’ plastic, his visual demonstration of how it works seems to offer a better solution, beyond phyto & bio-remediation, which also offer solutions beyond cumulative & toxic chemicals. . .along with Carl, I hope it works. . . that he gets the chance to do a ‘pilot’ here. . .as an effective & sustainable answer. . .
Inventors never tout their invention before it is proven out. Anyone taking odds?
Google “SolarBee”
Read on.
UV also breaks down the chemicals people are so afraid of.