Register for free and continue reading
Join our growing army of changemakers and get unlimited access to our premium content
Addressing heightened global concerns about the safety and performance limitations of conventional water disinfection technologies, LightStream Technologies, Inc., today announced the global launch of the LSi, the first product by the company in its LS series of advanced water and wastewater disinfection machines. The LSi combines the advances afforded by pulsed UV light with new ‘smart’ technologies into a state-of-the-art disinfection machine that uses no chemicals and contains no mercury. The LSi is currently on display this week at Aquatech Amsterdam at the RAI Exhibition and Conference Centre, October 1-4, Stand 07.7160.
Supporting recent statements by stakeholders at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, LightStream Vice Chairman R. Josh Lanier said, “Access to clean and safe water is a critical need worldwide. The LSi sets a new global standard for safety, precision, and high performance in water disinfection. This is very good news for consumers, water system operators, government regulators and anyone concerned with the safety and performance limitations of conventional disinfection methods and their impact on public health and the environment.”
Chlorine has been the most common method of disinfecting water since the early 20th century. In 1998, however, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that chlorine produces disinfection by-products that pose risk for causing several forms of cancer as well as birth defects. Of increasing concern to public health officials, chlorine has been found to be ineffective in killing parasitic species such as cryptosporidium. In addition, storage tanks for chlorine gas used in most treatment plants have also become a significant security concern in the wake of heightened terrorist threats.
Until now, the most common alternative disinfection methods to chlorine have been ozone, membrane filtration, and mercury lamp UV light systems. Each method still requires significant compromises on both safety and performance. Ozone generators and containment equipment are difficult to maintain and susceptible to dangerous gas leaks; in membrane filtration there is significant risk of the membrane breaking or being damaged; and mercury lamp UV systems require the use of fragile and toxic mercury lamps to produce UV light. Inherent health and safety issues concerning mercury, caused the United Nations to recently conclude that there is sufficient evidence to take required action to reduce or eliminate the global use of mercury in products and industrial processes and cut mercury emissions and releases.
“By definition, ‘clean’ water means water that has been disinfected of harmful bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens by methods that do not add new risks,” said Lanier. Anything less is a compromise that presents continuing risks to public health and the environment.”
Unlike conventional disinfection methods, LightStream’s LSi delivers powerful disinfection without the dangers of chemicals, mercury lamps or ozone gas that risk the safety of workers, the public and the environment. This is because the LSi does not use toxic mercury to produce UV light. Rather, it produces the UV by means of short, ultra
high intensity pulses (up to 30 per second) of light through a single inert xenon flash
lamp. The LSi also delivers unprecedented precision and disinfection performance through its patented Constant Optimum Dose methodology that conducts continuous sub-second performance analyses to deliver the exact UV dose specified for each application.
Each LSi can treat up to 160 m³/hour (1 MGD) and serves a wide range of applications that include industrial process fluids, municipal wastewater, potable water, cooling towers, VOC remediation, and municipal swimming pools. Future LS Series products will be introduced in 2003 that deliver even greater treatment capacities. The LSi is scheduled for shipment to EU countries in January 2003 that include Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, The Czech Republic, The Slovak Republic, Poland, France and Italy.
About LightStream Technologies
Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, USA, LightStream Technologies, Inc. provides advanced state-of-the-art technologies for the disinfection of water and wastewater. LightStream’s patented technology delivers chemical- and mercury-free disinfection utilizing advanced ultra high intensity pulsed ultraviolet (UV) light and sets a new No Compromise™ standard in water disinfection. For more information please visit www.LightStreamUV.com
Additional U.N. background on mercury is online at www.unep.ch/mercury
View the U.S. EPA’s 1998 finding on chlorine disinfection by-products at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mdbp/dbpfr.pdf
Contact Info:
Chris Zanardi
LightStream Technologies, Inc
+1 703.860.8580 ext. 205
Nicki Creasy
Hill and Knowlton
+1 202.944.1996
Please login or Register to leave a comment.