[Pharmwaste] Treatment of Pharmawaste?

[Gilliam, Allen]

Just FYI for you folks "out there" who might be wondering what techs are
being R&D'd for treatment of emerging contaminants of concern.
Evidently, the below process showed great treatment potential in the lab
and they're now ready for a full scale pilot project here in Arkansas.

Reference herein to any specific commercial process does not necessarily
constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring by ADEQ.


Allen Gilliam
ADEQ State Pretreatment Coordinator
501.682.0625
****************************
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Anna McCain, BlueInGreen * 479-527-6378 
Anita Smith, Crow Communications * 501-454-3374 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Selects Arkansas 
Company to Test New Technology for Efficient Removal of Pharmaceuticals
from Wastewater
 
BlueInGreen Awarded NIH Grant to Study Large-Scale 
Hyper Ozonation of Wastewater

FAYETTEVILLE, AR (June 24, 2008) -  BlueInGreen, an Arkansas-based
company that provides systems for dissolved gas treatment of water
systems, today announced a two-year, $750,000 grant from the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a division of the National
Institutes of Health, to study the cost-effective removal of
pharmaceutical residuals from wastewater using  a new hyper ozonation
technology. 

"Without a doubt, the widespread media attention and heightened public
awareness surrounding the presence of pharmaceuticals throughout the
environment has sparked growing concerns nationwide," said Charlotte
Smith, president of PharmEcology, a company that provides environmental
consultation to the healthcare industry. "This study is an important
first step in removing pharmaceuticals generated by human activity at
the most concentrated point of generation.  Widespread implementation of
such a system would ensure that both humans and aquatic species have
access to water that is free of pharmaceuticals and other chemical
contaminants. " 

Using a patented and patents-pending hyper ozonation process,
BlueInGreen will use a hyperconcentrated dissolved ozone (HyDOZ) unit
for large-scale removal of both microbes and chemical components from
wastewater.  The company will target antibiotic residuals, estrogen-like
compounds and industrial chemicals for treatment.  In addition, some
bacteria found in untreated wastewater may transmit genetic resistance
to medically important antibiotics and the HyDOZ can be used to remove
these bacteria.   The HyDOZ has a three-pronged approach to improving
water quality:  destruction of microbes, removal of chemical residuals
and breakdown of vectors of antibiotic resistance.

This study will examine the use of hyper ozonation to replace
traditional disinfection technologies in use at wastewater treatment
facilities.  The use of chlorine-based compounds for the treatment of
water and wastewater is a common practice.  However, according to a 2008
Associated Press report entitled Drugs Found in Drinking Water the use
of chlorine can make some pharmaceuticals more toxic.  

"One of the key advantages of the use of ozone is that it breaks down to
oxygen during treatment and actually improves water quality," said Scott
Osborn, PhD, Chief Technology Officer for BlueInGreen. "Our HyDOZ
technology is a more effective decontamination method and better for the
environment."   

According to Osborn, BlueInGreen's dissolved gas water treatment
technology is the most cost-efficient delivery method in the market
today.  Full-scale demonstrations have shown an 80 percent reduction in
oxygen and power costs as compared to conventional methods.  These
greatly reduced capital and operating costs will make the HyDOZ a
practical treatment option for wastewater and drinking water treatment
facilities.  Many of the other technologies that are able to remove drug
residuals from the water supply, such as reverse osmosis, are simply too
costly to be implemented at the scale required for municipal facilities.


One-third of the grant has been earmarked for the University of
Arkansas' Division of Agriculture for extensive laboratory testing and
measurement. Because of its close proximity to BlueInGreen in Northwest
Arkansas, the City of Springdale has partnered with the company to
demonstrate the technology.

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For more information about BlueInGreen, visit www.blueingreen.biz.