Current Water Technologies has completed a demonstration project with its patented ammonia treatment technology, dubbed AmmEL System at a Canadian gold mining site located within the Abitibi Mining Region of Central Canada.
Image: Demonstration Unit, Mine Site in Abitibi Mining Region. Photo: courtesy of: Current Water Technologies Inc.
This follows successful demonstration projects previously conducted within the Abitibi Mining Region and in Western Canada.
The versatile, state-of-the-art AmmEL demonstration scale unit treated approximately 4 m3 per hour of mine wastewater effluent containing ammonia levels ranging from 40-50 mg/L.
The system effectively maintained the ammonia level in the treated water below the required level of 10 mg/L at inlet wastewater temperatures ranging from 3-6 oC.
The AmmEL-LC Electrochemical Ammonia Treatment System is a two-stage process consisting of ion exchange, followed by electrochemical oxidation of ammonia to environmentally friendly nitrogen gas (N2).
Designed to achieve high ammonia removal rates in industrial and municipal wastewater, groundwater sources and industrial process waters, the technology does not produce nitrate, a known carcinogen, or the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O).
Unlike conventional biological systems, the technology is also not adversely affected by low water temperatures (>0°C) and has the ability to achieve very low ammonia levels in treated streams (<1 mg NH4/L).
The system can be implemented as a full-scale, stand-alone treatment plant or as a complementary upgrade to conventional methods at new or existing water treatment facilities.
In contrast to competing physicochemical approaches for the treatment of ammonia, CWTI’s innovative ammonia treatment system is extremely efficient even under the high hardness (high calcium and magnesium) conditions characteristic of mine wastewater.
Current Water Technologies president and CEO Gene Shelp said: “CWTI is extremely pleased with these results as they confirm our previous field testing and establish the benefits of CWTI’s leading-edge AmmEL system for the treatment of ammonia in mine waste water”.
As part of the next step, CWTI has been invited by the industry partner to participate in a “Brain Storming Session” in late June.
The Canadian Mining Industry is a world leader in water management and environmental stewardship. CWTI welcomes the opportunity to work closely with the Canadian Mining Industry with the goal of establishing a solid platform for Canadian technology innovators to succeed within Canadian and international markets.
Source: Company Press Release.