PITTSBURGH, Oct 19, 2000 (PRNewswire via COMTEX) — Calgon Carbon Corporation announced today that it has been granted a U.S. patent for controlling cryptosporidium (crypto) in drinking water using ultraviolet (UV) light.
Crypto, a microscopic parasite present in almost all surface waters, is highly resistant to traditional treatment methods such as chlorination. When ingested through drinking water, it can cause cryptosporidiosis, an illness characterized by severe abdominal cramps and diarrhea. In individuals with suppressed immune systems, cryptosporidiosis can be fatal.
Prior to Calgon Carbon's breakthrough discovery with Sentinel UV® technology, it was thought that very high doses of UV light were required to kill crypto. Calgon Carbon's research discovered that low levels of UV could be used to prevent crypto from replicating.
This pioneering research was used to commercialize the Sentinel UV® disinfection system as a reliable barrier against viruses, bacteria, and parasites such as crypto at a fraction of the cost of other treatment methods. Also, Sentinel is an environmentally-safe technology that does not produce disinfection by-products.
Commenting on the announcement, Bob O'Brien, senior vice president of Calgon Carbon, said, "Calgon Carbon's inventive technology means that continuous broad band UV light is a safe, extremely cost-effective means for water treatment. We expect broad use by many facilities to protect their customers from crypto."
Calgon Carbon Corporation (www.calgoncarbon.com), headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a global leader in the production, supply, and design of products, services, and technologies for making air and water cleaner and safer. The company employs approximately 1,100 people with 13 facilities and 12 sales and service centers.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. This document contains certain statements that are forward-looking relative to the company's future strategy and performance. They involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the company's actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance suggested in this document. Further, the company operates in an industry where it may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond the company's control.
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