New Process Eliminates Pharmaceutical Residues in WasteWater
On May 15, 2018, an article was published by Process Worldwide about a new electrochemical processes developed by Fraunhofer IKTS, aimed at eliminating pharmaceutical residues that had been contaminating Germany’s wastewater supply.
Prior to the development of electrochemical water treatment solutions, an estimated amount of 38,000 residues from antibiotics, antivirals, and other medicines were found contaminating the wastewater of the Germany’s conurbations in an annual basis. Aware that these residues trigger the spread of multi-resistant microorganisms and fertility disorders, Fraunhoker IKTS devised a definitive treatment module that heavily involved electrolysis. They eventually discovered that the boron-doped diamond (bdd) anodes of an electrolysis cell is the key component that eliminated medical residues found in wastewater. It was reported that these anodes electrochemically converted the residues into carbon dioxide.
To make the treatment module more cost-efficient, Fraunhoker IKTS decided to replace bdd with noble-metal-free anodes. The latter costs one tenth of bdd’s sale price, which is $19,000 per square meter. With the help of researchers at the Dresden institute, ultrasonic sensors were eventually used alongside electrolysis cells to further intensify the degradation rates of medical residues. Ultrasonic sensors also play the role of a reaction barrier, thus increasing the elimination process’ level of safety.
Get a clearer grasp of how electrolysis rid wastewater of medical residues by reading the full article here.
Indeed, the German institute Fraunhoker IKTS have successfully introduced an advanced, cutting-edge wastewater treatment module that completely eliminates harmful medical residues without fail. In the United States, Aqua Solutions continuously strives to develop high-grade lab water purification and treatment systems, from Reverse Osmosis to Ultrapure Water Systems. Discover our vast selection of water purification systems by visiting www.aquaa.com.