Inorganic removal and recovery are key in the both drinking water and industrial applications where purified water or wastewater treatment is required.

Over the past couple of decades, Aslan Technologies has been providing innovative solutions for the removal of inorganics such as salts, certain nutrients, and heavy metals under cationic form present in ground water or generated as a result of industrial or municipal activities. Some examples of the inorganics that we are capable of removing are: heavy metals such as nickel, lead, cadmium, phosphorus, and zinc as well as other inorganics such as fluoride and nitrate.

Nitrate is considered a contamination in drinking water when the levels of nitrates exceeds 10 ppm (mg/l) (as N-nitrogen). In some areas nitrate presents itself naturally in water, but the most common sources are industrial and chemical manufacturing operations, fertilizer runoffs, septic tank discharges, and farm animal wastes.

High concentrations of nitrates in water can have a number of adverse effects on the environment and human heath. In bodies of water, nitrate promotes the growth of algae or cyanobacteria – a process known as Eutrophication – which reduce the level of dissolved oxygen in water and causes aquatic life to suffocate. In humans, thyroid cancer, Blue-Baby Syndrome, and premature births have all been attributed to the presence of nitrites and nitrates in drinking water. In particular, when nitrates in drinking water are converted to nitrites in the body, the ability of blood to carry oxygen around the body is negatively affected.

Fluoride can enter water either from bedrock or from industrial processes. Bedrock is the natural source of inorganic fluoride in the environment. Calcium fluoride, sodium fluoride, and sulfur hexafluoride leach into the ground, surface, and sea water from bedrock.

Fluoride has many industrial applications that make it desirable. Like arsenic, however, fluoride has long been known to be a very toxic substance and problematic if not used properly. It has been used in production of pesticides as well as for keeping teeth clean. Sodium fluoride is added to drinking water for teeth protection, but excessive fluoride exposure can cause fluoride poisoning. Symptoms such as discoloration of the teeth, arthritis, bone fragility, glucose intolerance, gastrointestinal distress, thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer all underscore the importance of removing fluoride contamination from drinking water.

Agricultural activities and discharges from municipal and industrial wastewater plants are major sources of phosphorus. It is as a key nutrient contributing to the increased eutrophication of water bodies affecting the quality of drinking water and health of lakes, rivers, and ponds. Two common approaches that our clients have taken in the reduction of Phosphorous in the water are chemical precipitation and biological treatment.

We have treated millions of litres of water contaminated with heavy metals and inorganics for both industrial and drinking water applications.