In 2013, CL:AIRE published Technology Demonstration Project bulletin #31 which described two demonstrations of Arvia’s Nyex™ technology to treat pesticides and petroleum hydrocarbons respectively. Since then, Arvia has been developing its technology in multiple sectors. This brief article focuses on the applicability of the Nyex™ technology to treat micropollutants and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
The problem
Due to the development of advanced measurement methods, water can now be analysed more effectively and the scale of low-level contamination has been revealed.
Pharmaceutical and other chemical waste in European rivers is an endemic problem which is finally reaching the political agenda. A group of scientists from the Greenpeace research laboratories at the University of Exeter conducted analyses on 29 small waterways across 10 countries in the European Union. This work has resulted in a comprehensive determination of 275 pesticides, including 24 that are banned in the EU. 101 veterinary drugs were also detected in the waters and the most common were antibiotics - dicloxacillin was present in two thirds of the analysed samples.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with the way the body’s hormones work. They are found in pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, pesticides and plastics and can make their way into natural waterways through manufacturing effluent, land run-off or excretion when wastewater is not adequately treated.
Worryingly, approximately 1,000 chemicals have been reported to potentially have endocrine disrupting effects with many of these commonly found in consumer products which are available to buy on the shelves.
With these challenges already being experienced today, it is necessary to remove chemicals wherever water is abstracted for human or animal use as well as before industrial effluent is discharged into the sewer or environment.
A solution
It is now possible for industrial manufacturers and water companies to install on-site specialist packaged technologies like Arvia’s Nyex™ treatment system, which can be retrofitted into existing treatment trains.
Nyex™ combines adsorption with electrochemical oxidation in a single, scalable unit that is easy to operate and can be remotely monitored. The process simultaneously localises and mineralises organic contaminants into H2O, H2 and CO2, requiring only a low electrical current in proportion to the loading of contaminants, for effective removal.
The system is free from chemical dosing, has a self-regenerating media and does not produce sludge. This results in sustainable, low-maintenance operation with considerably lower recurring cost than trucking, incineration or landfill of secondary wastes.
During the Interreg 2 Seas collaborative project (DOC2C’s) involving PWN Technologies R&D (NL), South West Water (UK), De Watergroep (BE), Lille University (FR) and Delft University of Technology (NL), Arvia tested their Nyex™ process on Ijssel Meer surface water, ion-exchange (IX) brine as well as brine from an Electrodialysis unit (ED brine).
Comprehensive removal of various micropollutants commonly found in waterways of over 88% and often to below the limit of detection (LOD) was achieved.
As large water users and potential contributors to water contamination, industries including pharmaceutical, chemical and personal care manufacturers have found themselves under scrutiny on this pressing issue and are adopting sophisticated water management plans with the objective of cutting pollution and reusing water. Arvia is in the process of supporting several major players in these industries to analyse and remove organic contamination and protect our finite water sources.