식수를 더 잘 처리하기 위한 노력으로 캘리포니아주 수자원통제이사회는 마이크로비(Microvi)의 변형적인 질산염 제거기술(transformative nitrate removal technology)을 조건적으로 승인했다. 마이크로비는 물·에너지·화학산업에서 혁신적인 바이오촉매 기술을 개발·제조·상업화하는 바이오테크놀로지 전문기업이다.

이번 승인은 지난 몇 달 간 있었던 대규모 테스트에 따른 것으로, 테스트에서 마이크로비의 식수 솔루션이 질산염 제거에 있어 매우 효율적이고 안전하다는 점이 입증됐다.

 

 

 

In an effort to better treat drinking water, the State Water Resources Control Board of California has conditionally approved a transformative nitrate removal technology from Microvi, a biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures, and commercializes innovative biocatalytic technologies in water, energy and chemical industries.

 

The acceptance, considered a gold standard in the water industry, follows months of extensive testing that has proven Microvi's drinking water solutions to be highly efficient and safe in the removal of nitrate from drinking water. Microvi will be the first company to install a full-scale biological nitrate treatment system for drinking water in the United States.

 

Results from a large demonstration project provided to the Division of Drinking Water showed that Microvi's MB-N2 technology, developed through the company's proprietary MicroNiche Engineering platform, reduced the level of nitrate in drinking water from 35-54 ppm to less than 5 ppm in a matter of minutes. The U.S. EPA's nitrate limit for drinking water is 10 ppm.

 

Nitrate water contamination is a large problem in California and around the world. An estimated average 6 percent of the nation has groundwater nitrate contaminations over 5 ppm, according to the EPA. In California, where drinking water is in short supply because of the drought, an estimated 10 percent of the groundwater has nitrate levels over 5 ppm.

 

Microvi is already certified to treat drinking water in Australia, where the company has working installations treating nitrate-contaminated water for Aboriginal communities. In addition, the company has other installations treating water around the world.

 

Microvi has developed novel biocatalysts for sewage treatment, metals removal, organics removal, ethanol production, and several other water- and bio-based products. The company works with a wide range of industrial, government and academic partners to utilize its solutions and push past the limitations of conventional methods in these sectors.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 9월 23일]