[Pharmwaste] Osorb

Margret Nellor margie at nellorenvironmental.com
Mon Oct 7 13:22:07 EDT 2013 

Having dealt with wastewater treatment vendors, in many cases you end up with a black box they want you to help test so it can be marketed. If this technology has been tested with legitimate third party scientific review, been part of a research project (such a foundation or university sponsored project) and has been the subject of a peer reviewed report, or has been the subject of a refereed journal article - then it sounds like something worth looking into - if not then buyer beware.

Margaret H. Nellor, P.E.
Nellor Environmental Associates, Inc.
4024 Walnut Clay Drive
Austin, TX 78731
512-374-9330

On Oct 7, 2013, at 11:47 AM, Catherine Zimmer wrote:

> Hi Ed and all,
> Thanks for following up w/ABS.  My guess is they REALLY want to remove Rx.  Don’t we all?  I’d be interested in what they say.  I know they’re not the silver bullet, but their perspective would be interesting.
>  
> Very truly yours,
> 
> Catherine Zimmer, MS, BSMT
> Principal
> Zimmer Environmental Improvement LLC
> Ph: 651.645.7509
>  
> From: Ed Gottlieb
> Sent: Monday, October 07, 2013 11:19 AM
> To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us ; Brian Stenz ; Catherine Zimmer
> Subject: Re: [Pharmwaste] Osorb
>  
> Catherine,
>  
> Hear, Hear!
>  
> Out of curiosity, I called ABS materials, the maker of Osorb.  They will send me information to back-up the claims for removal of:
> 
> 
>       
> •  Nutrients, 
> such as phosphates and nitrates
> 
>       
> •  Pesticides, 
> such as atrazine
> 
>       •  
> Pharmaceuticals
> 
>       •  Oils, greases, and household 
> chemicals
> 
>       
> •  Chlorinated 
> solvents 
> (TCE, PCE, DCE, VC)       
> 
>       
> •  Endocrine 
> disruptors
> 
>       •  
> Pharmaceuticals
> 
>       
> •  Other 
> volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
> 
>  
> 
> Even 
> while: "Organic matter is not 
> absorbed..."
> 
>  
> 
> The 
> women who took my call wanted to know the reason for my interest.  After I 
> told her she suggested that they would like to call me back to start a 
> dialog.  
> 
> I 
> let her know that their website needed a minor tweak, "Pharmaceuticals" were 
> listed twice (see above.)  They fixed it within the hour!  Whatever 
> the actual quality of their product, I think ABS has top notch outreach / sales 
> technique!  
> 
>  
> 
> Ed
> 
>  
> 
> Ed Gottlieb
> Chair, Coalition for 
> Safe Medication Disposal 
> Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator 
> Ithaca Area 
> Wastewater Treatment Facility
> 525 3rd Street
> Ithaca, NY 
> 14850
> (607) 273-8381
> fax: (607) 
> 273-8433
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> >>> "Catherine Zimmer" <zenllc at usfamily.net> 10/7/2013 
> 11:15 AM >>>
> 
> 
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
>  
> 
> I am always skeptical of any technology that claims to capture or destroy 
> pharmaceuticals and other pollutants in water.  Most articles I’ve read 
> indicate it would take a multitude of technologies, at an extraordinary cost, 
> everything from settling tanks and flocculation to carbon filtration and air 
> stripping to remove all the pollutants from wastewater.  The treatment 
> technologies work based on the chemical structure of the drug.  For 
> example, carbmazepine and diclofenac can be broken down by ozone.  However, 
> iron flocculation has no appreciable effect on removing either drug.  
> Another issue that is not often addressed is what do the breakdown products look 
> like, they are likely still pollutants and are they biologically active? With 
> activated carbon, some pollutants/rx are removed, but the sites on the filter 
> are easily filled and often break through occurs.  For something like 
> “Obsorb”, it may work for some pollutants, but won’t work for all, and there is 
> the cost issue, this is essentially a silica filtration system that would have 
> to manage millions of gallons of water per day.  And, as we all know, any 
> treatment technology is basically moving the pollutant to another media, e.g. 
> the land or air.  It’s the on-going crap shoot of treatment.  
> 
>  
> 
> So, as you all know, I go back to beating the drum of prevention.  I 
> know its not as financially attractive as selling the gizmo that does magic, but 
> it does magic without much cost.  Prevention of long term chronic illness 
> is a good place to start.  In the UK, where they passed legislation calling 
> on the healthcare sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2030, they 
> are doing a complete overhaul of their system and starting with 
> prevention.  By reducing the patients progressing to chronic disease they 
> minimize resource consumption and by extension, GHG.  (Studies indicate 60% 
> of GHG produced in HC are due to products used and disposed.)
> 
>  
> 
> With the advent of our new healthcare system, I have hope that we will be 
> focusing more on prevention, rather than treatment.  As a matter of fact, 
> the UK has a “sustainability division” in their NationaL Health Service—let’s 
> lobby for something similar at CMS.  And maybe we will finally start to 
> seriously consider non-pharmaceutical treatments rather than just piling on the 
> pharmaceuticals.  It can be done.  I know a number of people who are 
> refusing pharmaceuticals in lieu of alternative medicine, even things so boring 
> as exercise, and they are doing well.  
> 
>  
> 
> Very truly 
> yours,
> 
> Catherine Zimmer, MS, BSMT
> Principal
> Zimmer Environmental 
> Improvement LLC
> Ph: 651.645.7509
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> From: Ed Gottlieb 
> 
> Sent: Monday, October 07, 2013 9:24 AM
> 
> To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us 
> ; Brian Stenz 
> 
> Subject: Re: [Pharmwaste] Osorb
> 
>  
> 
> 
> The correct link is:
> 
> http://www.absmaterials.com/stormwater
> 
>  
> 
> Ed
> 
> >>> Brian Stenz <brian at returnlogistics.com> 
> 10/7/2013 10:19 AM >>>
> I'd be curious to learn what others think of 
> this new technology for capturing pharmaceuticals and other chemicals in 
> water.
> 
> http://www.absmaterials.com/stormwater---
> Note: 
> As a courtesy to other listserv subscribers, please post messages to the 
> listserv in plain text format to avoid the garbling of messages received by 
> digest recipients.
> ---
> TO SUBSCRIBE, go to:   http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pharmwaste
> TO 
> UNSUBSCRIBE, DO NOT REPLY TO THE LISTSERV. Please send an e-mail to 
> pharmwaste-unsubscribe at lists.dep.state.fl.us -- the subject line and body of the 
> e-mail should be blank.
> If you believe you may be subscribed with a different 
> email address, please visit the subscriber listing at http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/roster/pharmwaste
> FOR 
> PROBLEMS:  Contact List Administrator Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us
> SEND 
> MAIL to the list server at:  pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
> 
> 
> 
> ---
> Note: As a courtesy to other listserv subscribers, please post messages 
> to the listserv in plain text format to avoid the garbling of messages received 
> by digest recipients.
> ---
> TO SUBSCRIBE, go to:   
> http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pharmwaste 
> TO 
> UNSUBSCRIBE, DO NOT REPLY TO THE LISTSERV. Please send an e-mail to 
> pharmwaste-unsubscribe at lists.dep.state.fl.us -- the subject line and body of the 
> e-mail should be blank.
> If you believe you may be subscribed with a different 
> email address, please visit the subscriber listing at 
> http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/roster/pharmwaste 
> FOR 
> PROBLEMS:  Contact List Administrator Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 
> 
> SEND MAIL to the list server at:  
> pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
> 
> 
> 
> ---
> Note: As a courtesy to other listserv subscribers, please post messages 
> to the listserv in plain text format to avoid the garbling of messages received 
> by digest recipients.
> ---
> TO SUBSCRIBE, go to:   
> http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pharmwaste 
> TO 
> UNSUBSCRIBE, DO NOT REPLY TO THE LISTSERV. Please send an e-mail to 
> pharmwaste-unsubscribe at lists.dep.state.fl.us -- the subject line and body of the 
> e-mail should be blank.
> If you believe you may be subscribed with a different 
> email address, please visit the subscriber listing at 
> http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/roster/pharmwaste 
> FOR 
> PROBLEMS:  Contact List Administrator Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 
> 
> SEND MAIL to the list server at:  
> pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
> ---
> Note: As a courtesy to other listserv subscribers, please post messages to the listserv in plain text format to avoid the garbling of messages received by digest recipients.
> ---
> TO SUBSCRIBE, go to:   http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pharmwaste 
> TO UNSUBSCRIBE, DO NOT REPLY TO THE LISTSERV. Please send an e-mail to pharmwaste-unsubscribe at lists.dep.state.fl.us -- the subject line and body of the e-mail should be blank.
> If you believe you may be subscribed with a different email address, please visit the subscriber listing at http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/roster/pharmwaste 
> FOR PROBLEMS:  Contact List Administrator Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 
> SEND MAIL to the list server at:  pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/pipermail/pharmwaste/attachments/20131007/3cbc1acc/attachment-0001.htm

More information about the Pharmwaste mailing list