The Northern Times
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Culture
  • People
  • What’s happening
  • Economy
  • Opportunities
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Lifestyle
  • Culture
  • People
  • What’s happening
  • Economy
  • Opportunities
No Result
View All Result
The Northern Times
No Result
View All Result

Emmen-based company accidentally discovers how to remove medical residue from water

by The Northern Times
February 18, 2020
in Uncategorized
Home

A membrane filter worked much better than expected

Translated by Maryse de Preter

A Drenthe-based water company in the city of Emmen has succeeded in removing medicine residues from surface water. With this (accidental) discovery, a new method may have been found to solve the problem of removing medical residues more widely.

The solution was found by chance, and the company does not know exactly how it works, but it does. The only thing that is certain is that carbon and oxygen play an important role in the purification process, as reported by the Dagblad van het Noorden.

NieuWater, founded by Waterleidingmaatschappij Drenthe and Water Board Vechstroom, purifies sewage water into pure water in its factory in Emmen. This water is then used as steam by the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (NAM) in its shale gas drilling in Schoonebeek.

The water is purified by using membranes, a type of microscopic filter that blocks everything, such as sludge and bacteria, at a molecular level. Bacteria rest on the outside of the sieves and are difficult to remove. “A solution has been devised without using chemicals. Namely, the installation of carbon filters for the sieves and the addition of oxygen,” explains Veendendaal.

According to the researchers, it is surprising that the filters appeared to do even more than just remove bacteria after installation. They also cut down medicine residues in the water: ” After measurements, more than 80 percent of these remains were found to be destroyed”, said Veendendaal

For now it remains a mystery how the process for the removal of drug residues works.

After researchers at Radboud University in Nijmegen raised the alarm last year about the sharply increased amount of drug residues in Dutch surface water, this invention is interesting. Not only for aquatic life, but also for the preparation of drinking water, the 140,000 kilograms of medicine residues that end up in surface water every year are disastrous both for the ecosystem, and for drug resistance in anitbodies.

Two PhD students from the research institute for water technology in Leeuwarden (Wetsus) are currently investigating the discovery. 

Image via WikiUser Hitesh vip. License here.

Tags: water

Related Posts

The Northern football clubs’ monthly round-up: August
Sports

The Northern football clubs’ monthly round-up: August

August 28, 2023
FC Groningen: A Fallen Giant Lifted by Its Supporters
Sports

FC Groningen: A Fallen Giant Lifted by Its Supporters

August 16, 2023
Dutch women’s football team roars into the World Cup
Sports

Dutch women’s football team roars into the World Cup

July 19, 2023

Popular News

  • Iconic star returns to Groningen’s Grote Markt

    362 shares
    Share 145 Tweet 91
  • Denmark reverses international student policies: Lessons for the Netherlands

    352 shares
    Share 141 Tweet 88
  • Rethinking battery technology in the North of the Netherlands

    346 shares
    Share 138 Tweet 87
  • Groningen secures position as top student city for 2023

    338 shares
    Share 135 Tweet 85
  • Wilders wins big in Groningen and Drenthe

    347 shares
    Share 139 Tweet 87
The Northerntimes is powered by: TopDutch

No Result
View All Result
  • Arts
  • Contributors
  • Covid-19 News
  • Covid Chronicles
  • authority
  • personal
  • photo reportage
  • professional
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Drenthe
  • Dutch history
  • Econ 050
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Eurosonic Noorderslag
  • Friesland
  • Groningen
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Make it in the North
  • National
  • News
  • Nightlife
  • Opinion
  • Opportunities
  • Education
  • People
  • Expats
  • International students
  • Politics
  • Shopping
  • Sports
  • submitted articles
  • Top Dutch Business
  • Travel
  • Typical Dutch
  • Ukraine
  • Uncategorized
  • What’s happening
  • World

Welcome Back!

OR

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Submit a article

Send in an article to be published on The Northern Times.

Send a news tip

Got a story idea or want us to be aware of anything?