VATIS UPDATE Article

A team of researchers from the Centre de recherche industrielle du Quebec (CRIQ) Canada, and Institut national de recherche scientifique (INRS), Canada, have been granted a U.S. patent for their newly developed wastewater treatment system, which removes emerging micropollutants like bisphenol-A, better known as BPA. The treatment technology is known as the membrane bioreactor system. According to both organizations, early studies showed their membrane technology is capable of removing 99% of BPA and similar contaminants from heavily polluted water.

BPA is a synthetic compound commonly used in the production of plastics and epoxy resins. CRIQ and INRS said their system is also able to remove medications from wastewater, including antidepressants, antibiotics, analgesics, hormones, anticonvulsants and chemotherapy products. Researchers suggest their technology could be installed at the source, hospitals and industrial plants, for example, to remove contaminants from wastewater before it ever reaches municipal treatment facilities.