May 21 2014
via PRWEB - Acqua Innovations, Inc. today announced the results of a successful bench scale test of the company's pilot Solve H2O™ Treatment System to remove 1,4-dioxane from groundwater extracted from an active site.
1,4-dioxane is a solvent frequently found in contaminated groundwater at Superfund and other hazardous waste sites.
It has been labeled as an "emerging contaminant" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to the potential impact of the chemical on human health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in its 12th report on carcinogens (June 10, 2011) identified the contaminant "as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" and identified it as a pollutant in water at sites throughout the United States. According to the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in studies conducted on animals that have been exposed to high levels of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water, the chemical has been linked to cancers of the liver, nasal, and mammary gland.
Acqua Innovations' Solve H2O™ Treatment System utilizes H2O NanoPure™, a nanoparticle based purifying agent specifically formulated to target and extract specific contaminates from polluted water. Unlike conventional water treatment methods that simply reduce the concentration of pollutants in water, H2O NanoPure™ is specifically formulated based on the attributes of the water to be treated to adsorb and extract targeted contaminates from water.
Based on water samples received from an active 1,4-dioxane treatment site, Acqua Innovations' engineering team performed kinetic studies to customize H2O NanoPure™ to remove 1,4 dioxane from groundwater from the active site. In the bench test, contaminated water from the active site was pumped through the Solve H2O™ Treatment System's reactor where it came into contact with the customized H2O NanoPure™ for 30 cycles in 10 minute increments. Sample readings were taken by GC-MS after 10, 20, and 30 cycles. The levels of the 1,4-dioxane were reduced from the starting point of 57.9 ppb to non-detectable concentrations. There was no degradation of H2O NanoPure™ over the course of the experiment. The same H2O NanoPure™ particles have been repeatedly utilized in laboratory tests of the Solve H2O™ Treatment System for over 6 months without loss of efficiency. Acqua Innovations' engineers estimate that the life expectancy of these particles is 3 to 5 years, similar to synthetic media such as polystyrene resin.
"Our bench test results demonstrate that our H2O NanoPure™ treatment agent can deliver superior results for the treatment of 1,4-dioxane at significantly lower costs when compared to current treatment options," said Meetesh Patel, CEO of Acqua Innovations. "Based on the potential of this this technology demonstrated by this test, we are in discussions with various organizations struggling with complex groundwater contamination issues in different sectors associated with water treatment and purification to field test and eventually commercially deploy the pilot Solve H2O™ Treatment System."
The Solve H2O™ Treatment System provides industrial and municipal users with a cost-effective solution to treat, purify, and reuse water while minimizing constraints on freshwater resources. The overall value proposition of the Solve H2O™ Treatment System for customers is:
- Lower upfront capital costs;
- Lower operating costs;
- Reduced maintenance costs;
- Low energy input or demand;
- Easy/safe handling;
- Operated to comply with occupational safety & health standards;
- Tailored engineering by substance, customizable clean treatment systems; and
- Attractive return on investment.