374Water, Inc. demonstrates effectiveness of AirSCWO

374Water has achieved another significant milestone with the successful destruction of pharmaceutical waste for a pharmaceutical manufacturer. This demonstration further highlights the versatility and robustness of 374Water’s cutting-edge AirSCWO in treating complex waste streams. Demonstration Highlights: A pharmaceutical manufacturer requested a SCWO demonstration for wastewater treatment. The goal was to achieve significant volume reduction to lower costs and meet local publicly owned treatment works limits. AirSCWO achieved greater than99.9% destruction of halogenated solvents and organic wastes. Challenge: Advances in the pharmaceutical industry have improved health outcomes, but challenges remain in disposing of waste streams produced during manufacturing. Untreated or improperly treated pharmaceutical waste poses significant risks and liabilities, including environmental contamination and legal consequences. Active pharmaceutical ingredients in the waste can harm aquatic life and potentially enter drinking water supplies, posing serious health risks. Proper treatment and disposal of pharmaceutical wastewater are crucial to mitigate these risks and protect both the environment and public health. A major pharmaceutical manufacturer faced a significant challenge in managing complex waste streams with high concentrations of APIs. The company sought to modernize its waste management practices, moving away from risky and expensive off-site incineration. As 374Water plans to offer its AirSCWO system for onsite destruction at customer locations and has previously shown high elimination efficiency of other organic compounds it was considered a candidate as a suitable alternative. Solution: Treatability testing was performed on the manufacturer’s waste using 374Water’s AirSCWO process. The study aimed to determine the efficacy of AirSCWO in eliminating organic compounds and its ability to handle variable mixtures of waste streams. Four organic waste samples were provided, which varied in calorific content and had high concentrations of dichloromethane and other halogenated solvents. Two blends were developed to represent typical waste streams with contaminant levels exceeding regulatory limits, with the goal of future on-site destruction using AirSCWO, once 374Water’s technology is fully commercialized. Results: Treatment using AirSCWO was successful for both blends. Using Chemical oxygen demand measurement as a proxy for all organics, AirSCWO eliminated organics to levels ten times lower than discharge limits for on-site injection. Total organic compound destruction ranged from 99.97% to 99.99%, exceeding the 99.5% destruction efficiency of on-site incineration. These results demonstrate AirSCWO’s effectiveness in eliminating organic waste and confirm its ability to handle diverse and mixed waste streams.