Manufacturing waste and improper disposal of perchlorate-containing compounds are increasingly being found in groundwater and local drinking water wells where these conditions exist.

The US Environmental Protection Agency, federal agencies and local governments are currently assessing the potential human health risks posed by perchlorate exposure. Currently, there are no enforceable perchlorate stafety standards, however, a few US states have adopted perchlorate actionable levels, among them CA and MA.  Perchlorate is one of a newly recognized group of toxins called endocrine disrupters, which can alter hormonal balances and impede human reproduction and development.  

The EPA’s protective health level for perchlorate in drinking water is a dose estimate of less than 1 part per billion (ppb). Many  perchlorate plumes in the United States, including the Colorado River, are believed to be in the range between four and 100 ppb.  It is estimated that perchlorate contamination occurs in groundwater, drinking water sources in at least 22 US states and has been found in many nutritionally important foods such as milk, lettuce and other leafy green vegetables.

Ion exchange is the most frequently used treatment technology for perchlorate removal.  This technology removes the perchlorate ions from the aqueous phase by replacing them with the anion present in the ion exchange resin.  As contaminated water is passed through the resin, contaminant ions are exchanged for other ions such as chlorides or hydroxides in the resin. 

Siemens Water Technologies offers both permanent, hard-piped and removable ion exchange treatment system options.  With permanent systems, ion exchange resins must be periodically regenerated to remove the adsorbed contaminants and replenish the exchanged ions.  Regeneration water and spent resin containing high levels of perchlorate would require additional treatment prior to disposal or reuse.

Siemens also offers a service-based treatment option for handling perchlorate contamination. For non-potable applications, our Wastewater Ion Exchange (WWIX) approach integrates equipment and service option combinations, thereby minimizing a plant’s capital investment and reduces overall space requirements.  The system vessels are selected based upon available manpower, space limitations, access limitation and the specific water quality required.  Based on the particulars of the contaminant to be removed and inlet quality requirements, we have access to a variety of ion exchange resins and other removal medias.  Wastewater Ion Exchange provides the ultimate flexibility to add or remove treatment capacity as your business grows or compliance limits change.  If needs change, we can simply change the media types and/or tank size, thereby saving our customers significant capital expense.

Once exhausted, the exchange vessels are removed and replaced with fresh, DOT-compliant vessels and returned to service. For non-potable applications, exhausted vessels are transferred to our central treatment and processing facility where the hazardous/non-hazardous contaminants are removed from the media/resin for reuse. 

For waters destined for potable use and drinking water applications, Siemens offers Potable Ion Exchange (PIX) Service.  PIX utilizes potable ion exchange resin canisters for the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants in surface and groundwater sources to meet drinking water standards. Each application is examined to determine the system configuration that best meets current and future needs.  Once the treatment media is spent, or reaches the end of it's useful life, the potable canisters are removed from the site and delivered to a local regeneration facility for destruction and/or landfill.

Both WWIX and PIX minimize the need for handling and on-site storage of chemicals and wastes for improved safety and compliance at your site. This option also saves valuable manufacturing space while minimizing your maintenance and installation requirements.

In both cases, single-use, non-regenerable ion exchange resins may alternativelhy be used.  These resins are removed when spent and thermally destroyed, thereby eliminating disposal liabilities of both the waste and wastewaters containing perchlorate.  

Ion exchange is often preceded by treatments such as filtration and oil-water separation to remove organics, suspended solids, and other contaminants that can foul the resins and reduce their effectiveness.  

Perchlorate Removal Technologies for Your Groundwater Remediation Applications

Ion Exchange Systems
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Systems
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems