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A 2017 study(1) estimates that up to 2.41 million tons of plastic enters the ocean via rivers every year, but if one includes all land-based sources of plastic, the total amount of plastic entering the oceans each year could be higher than 12 million tons(2).  One of the biggest hurdles to solving the marine plastics problem is that no matter how fast we remove it from our oceans and beaches, there is a steady flow entering the oceans every day. In order to make any headway, we need to not only tackle the plastic that is already in the ocean, we also need to eradicate plastic pollution at the source to prevent it from getting into the ocean in the first place. Scientists have now created a super-powered mutant enzyme that is designed to quickly degrade plastic into components suitable for reuse, which could be a game-changer.

Marine plastic debris is one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Plastics are found in all corners of the world’s ocean, from the surface down to the seabed, and pollutes even the most remote beaches all across the world. Because plastic is so durable, it doesn’t simply break down in the environment, but rather slowly disintegrates into tiny bits of plastic which float on the surface or are suspended in the water column before finally sinking to the seafloor where they accumulate over time.

Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) or Organophilic Nanofiltration (oNF) offers an attractive solution for challenging separations in the molecular range between ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, focusing on the treatment of organic liquids across several industries. Sterlitech is pleased to announce the addition of  industrially proven, BORSIG OSN flat sheet membranes to its product offerings

Membranes don’t always perform as expected, but asking the right questions can reduce down time due to troubleshooting. Below are a few common filtration performance challenges and troubleshooting tips.

Ammonia nitrogen (TAN), a major pollutant in wastewater, consists of non-ionized ammonia (NH3) and ammonium ions (NH4 +), which are pH- and temperature-dependent. To determine its presence in water is important because of its harmful effects on both humans and aquatic organisms.

Sterlitech item 0QBV94400.315 has an oleophobic treatment that is no longer compliant with the new REACH standards that went into effect in late 2020. This membrane has been replaced with a QP944U membrane, which has a REACH-compliant oleophobic coating. It’s an oleophobic ePTFE membrane laminate, with a PTFE functional layer and polyester backer material.

Eight cups, three liters, one gallon? Straight water or added vitamins and electrolytes? Everybody has an opinion on what it means to be hydrated. Drinking water every day helps regulate mood, keeps the body from overheating, and supports healthy skin and digestion. But staying hydrated without consistent access to clean drinking water can be a challenge. 

What is a hydrophilic PCTE membrane? Polycarbonate track-etched (PCTE) membranes are characterized by durability, low protein binding, controlled porosity, and surface smoothness. PCTE membranes come in hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials, which affects the membrane “wet-ability”. Wet-ability refers to the ability of a membrane to draw water into the pore structure. Hydrophilic PCTE membranes have a high “wet-ability”, which means that the water contact angle is less than 90 degrees. As a water droplet is drawn through the membrane by capillary action, the water contact angle decreases. Hydrophilic membranes are best used for applications with aqueous solutions such as cell culturing, biological assays, and sterilization.

Water scarcity is a global problem affecting millions of people around the world, but scalable solutions including conservation, infrastructure investment, and membrane-filtration innovation have potential to make a big difference for the future of water.