PLEASANT HILL, Calif., July 16, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- HiPOx, an advanced oxidation water treatment process developed by Pleasant Hill-based APPLIED PROCESS TECHNOLOGY, INC. (Applied), has been selected to treat multiple sites in California contaminated by the solvent stabilizer 1,4-dioxane.
Camp Dresser McKee (CDM) and GeoTrans, Inc. were among several consulting firms which assisted responsible parties in selecting HiPOx to treat 1,4-dioxane contaminated groundwater at sites located in Orange County and Los Angeles County. Applied was awarded the new treatment contracts after operating data from commercial installations and pilot tests confirmed that the HiPOx process would reduce 1,4-dioxane concentrations to below the California action level of 3 ppb. Depending on the site, influent 1,4-dioxane concentrations are between 200 ppb and 43,000 ppb.
These orders have come in the wake of increased pressure from state regulatory agencies, which are now requiring analysis for 1,4-dioxane in waters impacted by industrial solvents and other contaminants. A cyclic ether chemical, 1,4-dioxane is very miscible in water, does not biodegrade, and cannot be removed by air stripping or carbon adsorption. It is often detected in groundwater where industrial solvents are also present. The HiPOx process destroys 1,4-dioxane cost effectively and without generating waste streams.
"We are seeing a lot of activity surrounding 1,4-dioxane treatment, especially in California," says Terry Applebury, Applied's President and Chief Executive Officer. "In many cases, HiPOx is replacing or supplementing existing treatment systems that cannot effectively remove 1,4-dioxane. Additionally, HiPOx destroys PCE, TCE, vinyl chloride and other contaminants that are frequently present at these types of sites."
The HiPOx advanced oxidation technology combines hydrogen peroxide and ozone to form the hydroxyl radical, an aggressive oxidant that reacts chemically with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including 1,4-dioxane and many other organic compounds, converting them into benign carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide is vented off while the cleansed water is returned to the subsurface, discharged to a surface water body, or put to productive use such as serving as a source of drinking water. Unlike air stripping and carbon systems, HiPOx actually destroys contaminants on-site rather than transferring them to another medium for further treatment and disposal.
At the new sites, the HiPOx process comes with a performance guarantee, a commitment which Applied can make confidently considering the HiPOx track record and process scalability. Applebury explains, "HiPOx is robust, reliable and predictable. Using data obtained during field tests, we can tell exactly what the process will do to a site's water when the full-scale system is installed."
Two sites in Orange County with flows of 5 and 10 gallons per minute (gpm) will utilize compact HiPOx HCU systems, each with a footprint of 8 ft. by 4 ft. The first of these units was commissioned during the first quarter of 2004. The next unit will be commissioned in July. A site in Los Angeles County will utilize a HiPOx SRS system at a flow rate of 225 gpm. That system will be commissioned during the fourth quarter of 2004. Flow rates of previously installed HiPOx systems treating 1,4-dioxane are as high as 1,000 gpm.
Applied Process Technology, Inc. provides technically superior pump-and-treat and in-situ water treatment solutions and services to the drinking water, environmental remediation and industrial process water markets. Applied specializes in treatment technologies that do not generate by-products or waste streams. Its first two product lines, HiPOx and PulseOx, are based on advanced oxidation and chemical oxidation processes that destroy a wide variety of contaminants including 1,4-dioxane, MTBE, and TBA. In addition, Applied and its alliance partners offer other technologies that treat a variety of contaminants including perchlorate. New advanced products are under development. The company website is at www.aptwater.com.
