Axine Water Technologies has completed a long-term test program to validate its electrochemical oxidation technology for treating active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in wastewater. The test program successfully confirmed that Axine's proprietary electrochemical oxidation technology is capable of treating a wide range of APIs to very low levels to meet the most stringent targets for safe discharge to the environment.
The test program was conducted on a range of APIs including antibiotics, antimicrobials, chemotherapy medicines, pain relievers and other APIs commonly found in pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater streams. Tests were conducted on individual APIs, as well as "blends" of multiple APIs at different concentrations and background chemistries. The molecular weights of APIs tested ranged from less than 150 g/mol to greater than 800 g/mol.
In all cases, the results show that Axine's technology treated APIs to below site requirements, below Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC) values and/or below analytical detection limits, some as low as <0.005 ppb. PNEC values are industry recommended targets for API concentrations that are safe for receiving ecosystems. Testing and analysis were conducted at Axine's product development facility in Vancouver, Canada and at customer sites.
"Our goal is to establish a new standard of care for treating APIs and other toxic organics in pharmaceutical wastewater to help eliminate APIs in manufacturing effluent, reduce environmental risks and achieve sustainability goals," said Jonathan Rhone, Axine President and CEO. "These results demonstrate the versatility of our technology to meet the most stringent discharge requirements while operating on a diverse range of APIs."
Axine's electrochemical oxidation technology is ideally suited for treating APIs in pharmaceutical wastewater. Axine's technology applies electricity to advanced electrodes to oxidize and destroy all types of APIs without using hazardous chemicals and without generating liquid or solid waste.
Axine has received support for this program from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).
