Industry News: Nanoparticles in wastewater, oilfield regulations

Aug. 30, 2016

A commission said it found that increased seismic activity is an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare.

Enzymes stabilized on nanoparticles aid dye wastewater treatment

Iranian researchers applied enzymes stabilized on nanoparticles to purify and remove dye from wastewater. Researchers at Amirkabir University of Technology in Tehran and from Farrokh Sepehr Textile Co. in Kashan applied enzymes stabilized on nanoparticles to purify and remove dye from wastewaters. According to Iran Nanotechnology Initiative Council, these research results can be used to prevent the leakage of toxic materials.

Industrial wastewater management, including dying and printing wastewater, is a challenge for companies active in the field of textiles because of the position of the textile industry, including the fiber production and fabric production. The researchers said that the aim of this study was to remove pigments from dye wastewater containing anionic and cationic pigments by using laccase enzymes in the form of free and stabilized on nanoparticles. The enzyme can be used in successive dye removal processes if it is stabilized on titania and zinc ferrite nanoparticles. The reason is that the separation of a laccase enzyme stabilized on ferrite in the presence of magnetic field is simple, which significantly decreases the costs.

Exova helps in development of new boron guidelines

Exova’s specialist health sciences division supported the Petroleum Technology Alliance Canada’s Soil and Groundwater Research Committee on the development of new boron-soil-contact guidelines, which take plant toxicity into account. The Soil and Groundwater Research Committee’s Boron Working Group was tasked with developing risk and science-based soil guidelines through extensive stakeholder consultations, field trials and laboratory research methods. Exova Edmonton worked with the Boron Working Group, drawing on its capabilities in environmental and soil testing to help develop the new guidelines.

Compared to the previous hot water soluble boron criteria, the new saturated paste method is a better predictor of boron’s toxicity on plants and invertebrates in a wide range of soil types.

Ambient Water to sell atmospheric water generators in the Dominican Republic & Mexico

Ambient Water, a manufacturer of atmospheric water generation systems for extracting water from humidity in the air, announced the signing of two separate memorandums of understanding (MOUs). They outline the collective intent for a definitive agreement within the next 30 days for the exclusive sale of the company’s atmospheric water generators within the Dominican Republic and Monterrey, Mexico.

The first MOU states that Gestion Tecnologica and its president, David Fermin, will have exclusive rights to sell and market Ambient Water’s atmospheric water generators in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The second MOU states that ITSARI SAS, Miguel Angel Garza Moya will have exclusive rights to sell and market Ambient Water’s atmospheric water generators in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. The agreement also grants non-exclusive rights to sell and market Ambient Water’s atmospheric water generators throughout the rest of Mexico.

Kansas tightens restrictions on oilfield water injections

According to the Wichita Eagle and a recent Associated Press report, the Kansas Corporation Commission added restrictions to the amount of oilfield wastewater injected underground with the goal of reducing the number of earthquakes in the region. Earlier restrictions led to a decrease, experts said.

The commission left in place an 8,000-barrel per day limit in five of the most quake-prone areas of those two counties. However, it put a 16,000-barrel per day limit on the rest of those two counties and parts of Kingman, Sedgwick and Butler counties, the article reported.

The commission’s order said it found that increased seismic activity is an immediate danger to the public health, safety and welfare. Commissioner Shari Feist Albrecht filed a dissenting opinion favoring even stronger restrictions. She agreed with the KCC staff, which wanted to limit dumping to 12,000 barrels per day

Food processing wastewater project receives funding of more than $1M

Cape Breton University’s Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and Environment in Sydney, Nova Scotia, received $1.1 million in funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency for research and development to degrade organic matter often found in wastewater from food processing. The resulting technologies will allow clean water to be discharged to the environment. The final product will be marketed as a stand-alone water treatment device for use in different environments from small commercial operations to larger industrial operations. The technology is intended to provide cost-effective remediation solutions.

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