[Pharmwaste] Treatment of Pharmawaste?

Catherine Zimmer zimme053 at umn.edu
Tue Jul 8 12:01:17 EDT 2008


Hi Allen and all,
While treatment methods may break down the primary pharmaceutical or 
other contaminant, its important to note that breakdown or oxidation 
products may still be present and their presence, toxicity and activity 
is often unknown.  For example, think about incineration.  It is a 
treatment method, but the treatment products, are things like dioxins, 
furans, hydrogen chloride, mercury, cadmium, volatile organic compounds 
and who knows what else?   So, unless this treatment breaks down all the 
contaminants to basic molecules such as carbon, water, oxygen, 
nitrogen--the resulting treatment products may be worse, or at a minimum 
are lesser known than the parent compounds. 

I would suggest AR require residual testing of breakdown/treatment 
products in addition to parent compounds. 

Catherine Zimmer
Health Care Specialist

Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
University of Minnesota
612.624.4635, 800.247.0015
http://www.mntap.umn.edu

Helping Minnesota businesses maximize resource efficiency, increase energy efficiency, reduce costs, and prevent pollution



Gilliam, Allen wrote:
> 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.
>
> ###
>
> For more information about BlueInGreen, visit www.blueingreen.biz. 
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>   


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