- Email: [email protected]
University of Liverpool uses Elga's water treatment systems
NEWS
Praxair supplies oxygen for ‘Olympic water treatment projects’
EPA seeks comment on contaminants, and helps communities
B
T
eijing Praxair Incorporated, an affiliate of Praxair China, has signed an oxygen supply contract with Beijing Drainage Group Company Limited (BDG). The organisers of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have put great emphasis on environment-friendliness. In order to improve the water quality in Beijing and save water resources, the Beijing municipal government decided to build three plants, in which wastewater is treated using membrane filtration, activated carbon adsorption and an ozone de-colour process. Under the contract, Praxair China will be the exclusive supplier of oxygen to three wastewater treatment plants in Beijing that will supply the Olympic Games. These plants are located in the Qinghe, Beixiaohe and Jiuxianqiao sections of Beijing. As these plants will directly serve the event, the requirements that BDG has put on the oxygen supplier are very strict. BDG chose Praxair China after comparing different suppliers on reliability, quality, technology and reputation. Operations have already started, and are going smoothly. ‘This contract is especially significant for Praxair because of its contribution to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. We are looking forward to cooperating further with BDG on other applications like sludge reduction,’ commented David Chow, President of Praxair China. Praxair is a major supplier of gas to the water treatment sector in China. It serves over 20 locations throughout the country involved in drinking-water and wastewater treatment. Praxair (China) Investment Company Limited is an industrial gas provider in China. It is based in Shanghai and within the country it has 15 wholly-owned companies and 10 joint ventures. Praxair is one of the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2007 sales totalling US$9.4 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and speciality gases, and high-performance surface coatings.
Contact: Praxair Incorporated, 39 Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury, CT 06810, USA. Tel: +1 716 879 4077, Web: www.praxair.com
6
Membrane Technology
he US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking for public comment on a list of 104 possible drinking-water contaminants that may need to be regulated in the future to ensure the continued protection of this vital resource. The agency is also helping communities increase water system sustainability. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA includes on the draft Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) currently unregulated contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and which may require regulation. This draft CCL, which is the third such listing, lists 93 chemical contaminants or groups and 11 micro-organisms, and describes the process and basis for selecting these contaminants. ‘The EPA is casting a broader ‘‘scientific net’’ for potential regulation of chemicals and microbes in drinking water. The EPA’s proposed list of priority contaminants will advance sound science and public health by targeting research on certain chemicals and microbes and informing regulators on how best to reduce risk,’ said Assistant Administrator for Water, Benjamin Grumbles. The CCL process was established by the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act as a mechanism to determine if new regulations are needed to protect drinking water. Under this process, the EPA conducts extensive research into the occurrence and health effects of the listed contaminants before issuing new regulations or standards. In developing the draft CCL 3, it implemented a new approach for selecting contaminants that builds on evaluations used for previous lists and is based on substantial expert input early in the process and recommendations from a larger number of different groups, including stakeholders, the National Research Council and the National Drinking Water Advisory Council. The draft list includes chemicals used in commerce, pesticides, biological toxins, disinfection by-products and waterborne pathogens. The agency evaluated approximately 7500 chemicals and micro-organisms and selected 104 candidates for the final draft list based on their potential to pose health risks through exposure to drinking water. The EPA is also providing tools and timely information to help communities improve
sustainability of their water systems. Two documents that describe how it is carrying out efforts to help are the ‘National Capacity Development Strategic Plan’ and ‘Analysis on the Use of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Set-Asides: Promoting Capacity Development.’ The first document describes how the EPA, state drinking-water programmes, drinking-water system owners and operators, and technical assistance providers, will work together to achieve the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the national capacity development programme. The strategy outlines how the EPA and its partners will promote proactive communication and outreach to help ensure that water systems have the capacity to demonstrate longterm sustainability. Funding made available through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programme can be critical in advancing capacity development programmes at the state level, says the EPA. The second EPA report provides information on how states have used their funds, and will help state drinking-water personnel, owners and operators of drinking-water systems, and technical assistance providers, to better understand how the DWSRF can support capacity development programmes and the agency’s sustainable infrastructure initiative. The EPA works with a number of partners, including organisations that provide technical assistance to small public water systems, to improve technical, managerial and the financial capacity of systems. Contact: Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, USA. Tel: +1 202 272 0167. Web: www.epa.gov
University of Liverpool uses Elga’s water treatment systems
I
n the UK, Elga Process Water has supplied water purification equipment to the Centre for Materials Discovery in the Chemistry Department at the University of Liverpool. The facility, funded by the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is developing high throughput robotic techniques in formulation and synthesis chemistry and analysis to provide support for scientific companies in the North-West. A high throughput laboratory uses a lot of water, as the facility’s Operations Manager Dr
May 2008
NEWS Neil Jones explained: ‘Most of the water we use is general-purpose laboratory water for our formulation work, reagent make-up and rinsing glassware – typically about 1 MΩ.cm resistivity is good enough – but we also need ultrapure water for analytical techniques like mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).’ Jones’ needs are met by two laboratory water purifiers from the Elga LabWater Purelab range: an Option S7 and an Ultra Ionic. A central Purelab Option 7 treats mains water using a combination of reverse osmosis and ion exchange to produce purified water which is considerably better than distilled water, says the company. This water satisfies the requirement for general laboratory use and is also fed into the Purelab Ultra Ionic which polishes it (using a combination of ion exchange, ultraviolet photo-oxidation and microfiltration) to ultrapure water standards of 18.2 MΩ.cm resistivity, 3–10 µg/l total organic carbon (TOC) and less than 1 cfu/ml bacteria count. When there is no demand for treated water, the Purelab Ultra recirculates the product to ensure that quality is maintained. The dispense head is at the top of the unit to enable tall vessels to gain access to the system, and it is fitted with a 0.2-µm filter as a final guard (less than 0.1 cfu/ml bacteria count) against potential contamination. The Ultra Ionic unit enables users to easily record and then replicate specific volumes and flow patterns, providing accurate and speedy repeat dispensing. It also minimises the possibility of contaminating the water by collecting it in a beaker, measuring the required volume in a measuring cylinder and then pouring it into the flask. In this process every transfer entrains airborne bacteria and contaminants. Frontentry service doors provide access to the system, enabling users to change cartridges easily. There
is also an easy-to-read display unit that provides a warning when the fully traceable cartridges need to be replaced. Like any good laboratory manager, Jones is conscious of costs. ‘The Elga LabWater equipment is really cost-effective. It is easy to use and needs little maintenance, both of which help to reduce operating costs. And it is flexible enough to meet all our needs,’ he concluded. Elga says that the Purelab units are backed by a comprehensive service support and training network in the UK, with a helpline to assist with troubleshooting. Elga Process Water is part of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS), a subsidiary of Veolia Water, which is a division of Veolia Environnement. VWS develops technology, and designs and builds water treatment facilities. With over 6500 employees, the company has operations in more than 50 countries. Contact: Elga Process Water, Marlow International, Parkway, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1YL, UK. Tel: +44 1628 897000, Web: www.elgalabwater.com
Blank bipolar plates aid rapid PEM fuel-cell prototyping
F
uel-cell materials company Bac2 Limited of Southampton, UK, used Hannover Messe 2008 as an opportunity to launch its first standard product – blank bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The plates, which are based on ElectroPhen, a unique conductive polymer developed by the firm, can be machined more easily than metal plates, making them ideal for fuel-cell
Figure 1. Bipolar plates make up to 30% of the cost of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cell stack. Plates made from ElectroPhen, a conductive polymer developed by Bac2 Limited, offer substantial cost-savings without compromising performance.
May 2008
In Brief Millipore teams up with Guava Technologies and signs agreement with Bayer In the USA, Millipore Corporation and Guava Technologies Incorporated have formed a long-term partnership to deliver integrated flow cytometry systems to scientists conducting research in cell biology. The companies say they will offer systems with superior technical performance, and enable researchers to gain better access to this analytical platform than is currently possible. Millipore has also entered into a worldwide, non-exclusive license agreement with Bayer HealthCare AG. Millipore’s Ubiquitous Chromatin Opening Element (UCOE) technology has been chosen by Bayer to improve the efficiency of bio-pharmaceuticals production. Traces of pharmaceuticals found in drinking water An investigation, conducted recently by The Associated Press, found traces of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies in 24 major US metropolitan areas, according to reports by the US media. While the levels found are far lower than what are considered to be medical doses and are not seen as a health risk, some scientists are concerned over possible long-term effects of medications such as ibuprofen and antibiotics in the nation’s drinking water. According to a scientific survey conducted nationwide for the Water Quality Association, a large majority of Americans are concerned about the presence of pharmaceutical products in their drinking water. More than half of them say they are now planning to purchase home filtration devices in the future, the poll showed. Purolite receives NSF/ANSI certification The Water Quality Association recently certified Purolite’s A532E perchlorate selective resin under the NSF/ANSI 61 Standard for use in drinking water. Perchlorate is a major problem in the USA and affects the water supply of 20 million people located in 20 states. Major water utilities form alliance Eight of the USA’s largest water utilities have formed a coalition to improve research into the effects of climate change on water utilities, and as their first act have provided comment on the federal climate change research plan summary. The Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) was formed by Denver Water, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Portland Water Bureau, San Diego County Water Authority, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Seattle Public Utilities and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Together, the WUCA members supply drinking water to more than 36 million people.
Membrane Technology
7
Praxair supplies oxygen for ‘Olympic water treatment projects’
EPA seeks comment on contaminants, and helps communities
B
T
eijing Praxair Incorporated, an affiliate of Praxair China, has signed an oxygen supply contract with Beijing Drainage Group Company Limited (BDG). The organisers of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have put great emphasis on environment-friendliness. In order to improve the water quality in Beijing and save water resources, the Beijing municipal government decided to build three plants, in which wastewater is treated using membrane filtration, activated carbon adsorption and an ozone de-colour process. Under the contract, Praxair China will be the exclusive supplier of oxygen to three wastewater treatment plants in Beijing that will supply the Olympic Games. These plants are located in the Qinghe, Beixiaohe and Jiuxianqiao sections of Beijing. As these plants will directly serve the event, the requirements that BDG has put on the oxygen supplier are very strict. BDG chose Praxair China after comparing different suppliers on reliability, quality, technology and reputation. Operations have already started, and are going smoothly. ‘This contract is especially significant for Praxair because of its contribution to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. We are looking forward to cooperating further with BDG on other applications like sludge reduction,’ commented David Chow, President of Praxair China. Praxair is a major supplier of gas to the water treatment sector in China. It serves over 20 locations throughout the country involved in drinking-water and wastewater treatment. Praxair (China) Investment Company Limited is an industrial gas provider in China. It is based in Shanghai and within the country it has 15 wholly-owned companies and 10 joint ventures. Praxair is one of the largest industrial gases company in North and South America, and one of the largest worldwide, with 2007 sales totalling US$9.4 billion. The company produces, sells and distributes atmospheric, process and speciality gases, and high-performance surface coatings.
Contact: Praxair Incorporated, 39 Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury, CT 06810, USA. Tel: +1 716 879 4077, Web: www.praxair.com
6
Membrane Technology
he US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking for public comment on a list of 104 possible drinking-water contaminants that may need to be regulated in the future to ensure the continued protection of this vital resource. The agency is also helping communities increase water system sustainability. Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, the EPA includes on the draft Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) currently unregulated contaminants that are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems and which may require regulation. This draft CCL, which is the third such listing, lists 93 chemical contaminants or groups and 11 micro-organisms, and describes the process and basis for selecting these contaminants. ‘The EPA is casting a broader ‘‘scientific net’’ for potential regulation of chemicals and microbes in drinking water. The EPA’s proposed list of priority contaminants will advance sound science and public health by targeting research on certain chemicals and microbes and informing regulators on how best to reduce risk,’ said Assistant Administrator for Water, Benjamin Grumbles. The CCL process was established by the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act as a mechanism to determine if new regulations are needed to protect drinking water. Under this process, the EPA conducts extensive research into the occurrence and health effects of the listed contaminants before issuing new regulations or standards. In developing the draft CCL 3, it implemented a new approach for selecting contaminants that builds on evaluations used for previous lists and is based on substantial expert input early in the process and recommendations from a larger number of different groups, including stakeholders, the National Research Council and the National Drinking Water Advisory Council. The draft list includes chemicals used in commerce, pesticides, biological toxins, disinfection by-products and waterborne pathogens. The agency evaluated approximately 7500 chemicals and micro-organisms and selected 104 candidates for the final draft list based on their potential to pose health risks through exposure to drinking water. The EPA is also providing tools and timely information to help communities improve
sustainability of their water systems. Two documents that describe how it is carrying out efforts to help are the ‘National Capacity Development Strategic Plan’ and ‘Analysis on the Use of Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Set-Asides: Promoting Capacity Development.’ The first document describes how the EPA, state drinking-water programmes, drinking-water system owners and operators, and technical assistance providers, will work together to achieve the objectives and anticipated outcomes of the national capacity development programme. The strategy outlines how the EPA and its partners will promote proactive communication and outreach to help ensure that water systems have the capacity to demonstrate longterm sustainability. Funding made available through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programme can be critical in advancing capacity development programmes at the state level, says the EPA. The second EPA report provides information on how states have used their funds, and will help state drinking-water personnel, owners and operators of drinking-water systems, and technical assistance providers, to better understand how the DWSRF can support capacity development programmes and the agency’s sustainable infrastructure initiative. The EPA works with a number of partners, including organisations that provide technical assistance to small public water systems, to improve technical, managerial and the financial capacity of systems. Contact: Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20460, USA. Tel: +1 202 272 0167. Web: www.epa.gov
University of Liverpool uses Elga’s water treatment systems
I
n the UK, Elga Process Water has supplied water purification equipment to the Centre for Materials Discovery in the Chemistry Department at the University of Liverpool. The facility, funded by the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), is developing high throughput robotic techniques in formulation and synthesis chemistry and analysis to provide support for scientific companies in the North-West. A high throughput laboratory uses a lot of water, as the facility’s Operations Manager Dr
May 2008
NEWS Neil Jones explained: ‘Most of the water we use is general-purpose laboratory water for our formulation work, reagent make-up and rinsing glassware – typically about 1 MΩ.cm resistivity is good enough – but we also need ultrapure water for analytical techniques like mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).’ Jones’ needs are met by two laboratory water purifiers from the Elga LabWater Purelab range: an Option S7 and an Ultra Ionic. A central Purelab Option 7 treats mains water using a combination of reverse osmosis and ion exchange to produce purified water which is considerably better than distilled water, says the company. This water satisfies the requirement for general laboratory use and is also fed into the Purelab Ultra Ionic which polishes it (using a combination of ion exchange, ultraviolet photo-oxidation and microfiltration) to ultrapure water standards of 18.2 MΩ.cm resistivity, 3–10 µg/l total organic carbon (TOC) and less than 1 cfu/ml bacteria count. When there is no demand for treated water, the Purelab Ultra recirculates the product to ensure that quality is maintained. The dispense head is at the top of the unit to enable tall vessels to gain access to the system, and it is fitted with a 0.2-µm filter as a final guard (less than 0.1 cfu/ml bacteria count) against potential contamination. The Ultra Ionic unit enables users to easily record and then replicate specific volumes and flow patterns, providing accurate and speedy repeat dispensing. It also minimises the possibility of contaminating the water by collecting it in a beaker, measuring the required volume in a measuring cylinder and then pouring it into the flask. In this process every transfer entrains airborne bacteria and contaminants. Frontentry service doors provide access to the system, enabling users to change cartridges easily. There
is also an easy-to-read display unit that provides a warning when the fully traceable cartridges need to be replaced. Like any good laboratory manager, Jones is conscious of costs. ‘The Elga LabWater equipment is really cost-effective. It is easy to use and needs little maintenance, both of which help to reduce operating costs. And it is flexible enough to meet all our needs,’ he concluded. Elga says that the Purelab units are backed by a comprehensive service support and training network in the UK, with a helpline to assist with troubleshooting. Elga Process Water is part of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies (VWS), a subsidiary of Veolia Water, which is a division of Veolia Environnement. VWS develops technology, and designs and builds water treatment facilities. With over 6500 employees, the company has operations in more than 50 countries. Contact: Elga Process Water, Marlow International, Parkway, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1YL, UK. Tel: +44 1628 897000, Web: www.elgalabwater.com
Blank bipolar plates aid rapid PEM fuel-cell prototyping
F
uel-cell materials company Bac2 Limited of Southampton, UK, used Hannover Messe 2008 as an opportunity to launch its first standard product – blank bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The plates, which are based on ElectroPhen, a unique conductive polymer developed by the firm, can be machined more easily than metal plates, making them ideal for fuel-cell
Figure 1. Bipolar plates make up to 30% of the cost of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel-cell stack. Plates made from ElectroPhen, a conductive polymer developed by Bac2 Limited, offer substantial cost-savings without compromising performance.
May 2008
In Brief Millipore teams up with Guava Technologies and signs agreement with Bayer In the USA, Millipore Corporation and Guava Technologies Incorporated have formed a long-term partnership to deliver integrated flow cytometry systems to scientists conducting research in cell biology. The companies say they will offer systems with superior technical performance, and enable researchers to gain better access to this analytical platform than is currently possible. Millipore has also entered into a worldwide, non-exclusive license agreement with Bayer HealthCare AG. Millipore’s Ubiquitous Chromatin Opening Element (UCOE) technology has been chosen by Bayer to improve the efficiency of bio-pharmaceuticals production. Traces of pharmaceuticals found in drinking water An investigation, conducted recently by The Associated Press, found traces of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies in 24 major US metropolitan areas, according to reports by the US media. While the levels found are far lower than what are considered to be medical doses and are not seen as a health risk, some scientists are concerned over possible long-term effects of medications such as ibuprofen and antibiotics in the nation’s drinking water. According to a scientific survey conducted nationwide for the Water Quality Association, a large majority of Americans are concerned about the presence of pharmaceutical products in their drinking water. More than half of them say they are now planning to purchase home filtration devices in the future, the poll showed. Purolite receives NSF/ANSI certification The Water Quality Association recently certified Purolite’s A532E perchlorate selective resin under the NSF/ANSI 61 Standard for use in drinking water. Perchlorate is a major problem in the USA and affects the water supply of 20 million people located in 20 states. Major water utilities form alliance Eight of the USA’s largest water utilities have formed a coalition to improve research into the effects of climate change on water utilities, and as their first act have provided comment on the federal climate change research plan summary. The Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA) was formed by Denver Water, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Portland Water Bureau, San Diego County Water Authority, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Seattle Public Utilities and the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Together, the WUCA members supply drinking water to more than 36 million people.
Membrane Technology
7