Swedish ozone generator supplier Primozone has been awarded funding of a project for removal of pharmaceutical residue from wastewater. Tillväxtverket, a Swedish agency for economical and regional growth, funded the project.
Primozone received funding to build a mobile pilot scale ozone system for removal of pharmaceutical residue. The aim is to prove the concept on existing wastewater treatment plants and to test and confirm the system design on different water flows and environmental conditions.
“We are happy to have received funding for this project,” said Arash Golshenas, head of R&D at Primozone. “Being able to prove concepts on site is important. This means that we can recommend our clients the best possible solution based on a pilot installed at their own site. With a correctly designed system we can see that ozone will remove almost all of the residual.”
Many countries in Europe are now taking political action to reduce the effects of the pharmaceutical residue. One of the first countries to implement this is Switzerland where a political decision will force about 100 sewage plants to be equipped with systems to remove pharmaceutical residue.
Existing wastewater treatment plants are not equipped to remove pharmaceutical residue. But although the technique is available it seems that political action is needed to get the process started.
“We see this funding as recognition of our technology and knowledge in the area”, says Anders Schening, CEO at Primozone. “It is also a chance for Primozone to grow - the potential market for removing pharmaceutical residue is huge and when the legal requirements are in place we will have an efficient solution ready. Our aim is to have a world leading position in this market."
There are only two technologies that seem to work for removal of pharmaceutical residue and ozone is one. Ozone works well because it is a selective oxidant that primarily attacks electron rich structures in molecules, such as double bonds.
“According to our calculations removal of pharmaceutical residue with ozone can be done at a surprisingly low cost per cu meter of water treated,” said Anders Schening, CEO at Primozone. “Unlike other technologies ozone treatment leaves no residue or byproducts that need further treatment, ozone is produced by oxygen and will revert to oxygen again after it has reacted."
Source: Primozone
