Monthly Archives: October 2011

The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week that they are planning to develop standards for wastewater discharges produced by natural gas extraction from underground coalbed and shale formations (a process commonly referred to as “Fracking”). This method of extraction involves fracturing rock formations by injecting them with a pressurized fluid consisting mostly of water, a little bit of sand, and some chemical additives as well. The debate over the possible environmental consequences of fracking is a hot button issue right now, and since its popularity has grown to the point where it now accounts for about 15% of all natural gas production in the US, it is understandable that the EPA wants to look into setting some uniform regulations.

Any potential EPA standards in this area can be broken down into two areas: shale gas standards and coalbed methane standards. In shale gas extraction, wastewater is prohibited from being discharged into waterways. Instead, it is either recycled back into use or sent to a treatment plant. Unfortunately, many of these treatment plants are not properly equipped to handle shale gas wastewater so the EPA will look into standards that could be implemented on wastewater before it reaches the treatment plant.

Creating a coalbed methane standard for wastewater treatment is a little bit trickier, since there aren’t any national standards for it yet. Currently it is up to individual states to regulate where the wastewater is discharged and what pre-treatment standards to follow. The EPA is hoping to address the matter by creating a uniform standard for the whole nation.

Based on the current EPA schedule, a proposed rule should come in 2013 for coalbed methane and 2014 for shale gas. This is to allow the EPA time to consult with stakeholders and allow for public comment.

You can read the full announcement from the EPA here.

The simple act of machine washing our clothes may be causing serious environmental damage, according to a new study from University College Dublin. A research team led by Dr. Mark Browne has traced a path from washing machine wastewater to abnormally high concentrations of microplastic debris found all over the world. The problem arises because the synthetic fibers that many of today’s clothes are made of, polyester and acrylic, get rinsed by the machine. While we may not notice it, one cycle can strip as much 1,900 fibers off each piece of synthetic clothing! These dangerous fibers eventually make their way to the ocean and wash up on our beaches. Research also shows that the pollutants are eaten by mussels and locusts, which can then work their way up the food chain to humans.

As a part of this study Dr. Browne’s team investigated 18 sites on six continents and through forensic analysis was able to match the proportions of polyester and acrylic fiber present in these sites with their proportions in clothing. They also found a correlation between sites with greater-than-average concentrations of microplastics and their exposure to washing machine wastewater.

Microplastic debris doesn’t get a lot of attention now in the environmental community, but as the human population grows and synthetic fibers become more commonplace, they have the potential to be a major concern in the future. Since it is likely that any solution to the problem will include standard or experimental methods of wastewater treatment, including filtration (see Flat Sheet Membranes), we’ll continue to look out for possible cures.

Read the full study from the ACS Journal of Environmental Science & Technology
Learn more about the work of Dr. Browne

We got some local recognition this week when Puget Sound Business Journal named Sterlitech Corporation as one of the 100 fastest-growing private companies in the state of Washington! This announcement comes after being honored last month by Inc. Magazine as one of their 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. You can tell by the boyish smile on Mark’s face that we’re quite giddy about these achievements.

Of course none of this is possible without our awesome customers, so thanks to all of you for your support over the years!

If you happen to subscribe to the Business Journal, the entire list will be published today in a special issue. You can see our full announcement here.

Here's a short demonstration with Kristina explaining how to cut a Sepa CF Membrane Filter using a steel ruled die:

Is there a product or process video demonstration that you'd like to see? Let us know in the comments!

For a nice overview of some basic questions to ask before you select your liquid filtration medium, take a look at this two page paper from the American Filtration & Separations Society. It starts with clear definitions of permeability and efficiency, and then segues into the importance of compatibility between the filter material and the liquid.

One of their good points worth repeating here is that for many types of sampling there are pre-existing industrial or organizational standards to guide you. With most of our membrane, syringe, and capsule filters, you can find this information under the “Application” tab for a particular item. Our resources section is another good place to research this information. Want more help? You can always ask one of our technical personnel for added assurance.

Read the complete AFS guide here.

On the eve of the Nobel Prize announcements, last week the people over at Improbable Research handed out their annual Ig Nobel Prizes to recognize some peculiar scientific achievements. If you’re unfamiliar with the group or the prize, their stated criterion for winning this award is, “For achievements that first make people LAUGH then make them THINK.” Examples of award worthy research from this year include: finding out how our decision process is affected when we have a strong urge to urinate, discovering a type of beetle that mates with a certain type of beer bottle, and a special Peace Prize to the mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania, for running over illegally parked luxury cars with a tank.

This tongue-in-cheek approach may put the Ig Nobel on par with something like the Razzies, except that the Improbable Research group isn’t (usually) mocking their recipients as many Ig Nobel winners are highly respected leaders in their fields. In fact, Andre Geim has the unique honor of having received both an Ig Nobel prize (In 2000, for using magnets to levitate a frog), and an actual Nobel Prize (In 2010, for his experiments with graphene).

You can check out the full list of recipients here, or if you just want to watch the video of a mayor running over a car in a tank, you can do that too).