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Press release – March 28th 2022
PFOS-holdig can be dried without emission
New technology has been tested by the company Drying Matter and the results are that wastewater sludge containing PFOS can be dried into granulate without emission.
By drying wastewater sludge containing the harmful PFOS it is possible to retain the PFOS in the sludge. By drying it it can be handled environmentally safe without emitting it into nature.
– Our solution dries the sludge turning it into granulate which can be incinerated. If the incineration takes place in a closed cycle in a rotary furnace the sludge can be disposed of and the ashes recycled without risking spreading the PFOS in the fields, says Jonas Degn Christensen, partner in Drying Matter ApS. The company, which specializes in this emission free drying technology, is located in Fuglebjerg in the Southwest of Zealand.
German studies show that in other types of thermal driers the PFOS exits the system with the humid air and is spread into nature. Drying Matter’s technologies do not have emission of air into its surroundings as the water condenses and the air is recycled internally.
New legal requirements hinder the use of sludge in fields
A secure way of handling PFOS in wastewater sludge has been actualized as the Danish Environmental Protection Agency presented threshold limit values for PFOS content. Several utility companies have found the threshold limits exceeded. As an outcome the sludge cannot be spread onto farmland and must be disposed of by other means.
The sludge can be incinerated at high temperatures, but this solution is insufficient as it has limited capacity and is expensive due to e.g. transport. Drying Matter’s drying technology reduces the amount of sludge by 75% making the transport more affordable. Furthermore, the content of dry material become so high that the granulate can be stored for a long period of time without emitting greenhouse gasses – unlike sludge.
– And as our technology can be connected to a furnace there is the extra profit that sludge with PFOS can be burned environmentally safe. The water which is left can be emitted directly into the sewage system – risk-free, Thomas Eilkær, partner in Drying Matter Aps, notes.
Great experiences from facility in Lolland-Falster
An equivalent solution is already up and running at Guldborgsund Public Utility in Frejlev, Lolland-Falster. Here the wastewater sludge is dried and burned in a rotary furnace. The PFOS is completely removed but the ashes retain the sludge’s high fertilizer value. Moreover, it becomes easier to spread to the farmland – and without the distinctive smell that sludge otherwise has.
Thomas Eilkær: – In addition to this solution, where the sludge is transported to a big facility to be dried and burned, we also offer smaller drying systems which is installed at the wastewater treatment plant or at the company where the sludge is produced.
Drying Matter was founded in 2021. Their drying technology can also be used for industrial sludge and sludge from aquaculture. One of their systems is currently being installed at a Norwegian fish farm. The technology is based on the heat from heat pumps og excel in its significantly low energy consumption compared to other drying methods.
For additional information: Thomas Eilkær, +45 25 75 99 90 | Jonas Degn Christensen, +45 31 25 75 81
Jonas Christensen (in the front) and Thomas Eilkær in front of the demo-drying system which is set up at Drying Matter in Fuglebjerg.