HANAU, GERMANY — Increasing demand in Europe for ultraviolet (UV) treatment of drinking water sources means there will be a need for a single European standard for UV treatment, said a spokesman for a German manufacturer of specialty lights, according to a March 15 company press release.
The release said Dr. Sven Schalk of Heraeus Noblelight spoke in Hanau in late February at an international UV symposium, a joint venture of his company, the equipment and plant builder ITT Wedeco AG, also of Germany, and Trojan Technologies, a Canadian-based UV systems manufacturer.
The gathering of more than 70 engineers and technicians from Europe, North America and Asia also heard Marc-Olivier Buffle of Trojan Technologies speak about combining UV radiation and strong oxidation to destroy complex pharmaceutical pollutants, such as antibiotics and steroids, that are now found in water sources, the press release said.
According to the release, this system is now being used successfully to treat drinking water in The Netherlands, but it can only be used in Germany for wastewater treatment.
Conference attendees heard statements saying that recent development of UV lamps offering longer operating hours and higher power means that designers of disinfection plants can specify fewer lamps, resulting in cost savings.
The conference was hosted by Materials Valley e.v., a network of companies, universities and others involved in materials technology in Germany's Rhein-Main region.
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