ECT Breaks New Ground In Treating 1,4-Dioxane

Now Achieving 1,4-Dioxane Levels Consistently Below 0.2 ppb

Portland, ME (Marketwired) - ECT- an environmental technology company committed to advanced treatment technologies for the removal of emerging contaminants from drinking water, wastewater and contaminated groundwater -- has developed a future-proof, synthetic media system that is highly effective in reducing 1,4-dioxane contamination levels in groundwater. The firm has demonstrated success in reliably reducing 1,4-dioxane concentrations to less than 1.6 parts per billion (ppb), as measured over a two-year period at one of its first full-scale installations for a contaminated industrial site. By recently employing a new laboratory method, ECT has consistently measured non-detect effluent 1,4-dioxane concentrations at an even lower detection limit of 0.2 ppb over the past few months. 

The most recent data showcases the technology's ability to treat to below the Environmental Protection Agency's current Health Advisory Level of 0.35 ppb. Even as the EPA and State regulatory bodies continue to lower 1,4-dioxane permit limits, projections indicate that they will not fall lower than the 0.2 ppb that ECT has already demonstrated. Implementation of ECT technology allows companies to manage 1,4-dioxane levels efficiently over time, without the worry of capital dollars spent on a technology that will not be able to maintain compliance as future permit limits continue to drop.

ECT's synthetic media system uses AMBERSORB™ 560 (a regenerable synthetic adsorbent manufactured by The Dow Chemical Company) to remove 1,4-dioxane and other organic contaminants from the groundwater. The system can achieve compliance (e.g., less than 0.2 ppb in the system effluent) at varying influent conditions simply by adjusting the regeneration cycle frequency. The system does not require the use of dosing chemicals or high-powered UV lamps typically associated with advanced oxidation processes. As a result, the system's simplicity reduces operator oversight, increases compliance performance, is safer to operate and does not form unwanted by-products such as bromate or hexavalent chromium -- all at a lower lifecycle cost. In addition, AMBERSORB 560 provides effective adsorption throughout the entire pH range typically found in groundwater.

Thomas Mohr, author of the leading reference book on 1,4-dioxane, said, "AMBERSORB™ 560 adsorbent is an attractive alternative, with consistent performance independent of water quality, competitive costs for hardware and lower operating costs than advanced oxidation."

Matthew Rodgers, The Dow Company's North American Market Segment Team Leader - Adsorbents and Mining, said, "Dow has had a long history in manufacturing AMBERSORB and other adsorbents. The newest product, AMBERSORB 560, has been used by ECT in a number of 1,4-dioxane remediation applications with great success. Dow and ECT are forging a strong relationship to serve the market for organic remediation in this and other areas."

ECT will be discussing the impact of these results, as well as the trends and issues around 1,4-dioxane contamination, at the Battelle Ninth International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, May 19-22, 2014, in Monterey, California.

About ECT
Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies, Inc. (ECT) focuses on technologies and processes to treat emerging compounds. ECT has developed a technology solution using time-proven synthetic media in an innovative way. The company's current commercial system uses synthetic media to remove 1,4-dioxane and a host of other organic contaminants from groundwater and other water and wastewater sources. ECT's synthetic media treatment system is efficient and effective, and is applicable for the removal of 1,4-dioxane contamination from Superfund, aerospace, general manufacturing, and heavy industry sites throughout the U.S. ECT was formed in 2013 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Haley & Aldrich, Inc.

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