April 19, 2002

BATTELLE AND D-H20 DEMONSTRATE A NOVEL PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD TECHNOLOGY TO SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCE BIOSOLIDS

Columbus, OH-Battelle has developed a pulse electric field (PEF) process to treat biosolids from wastewater treatment plants that could greatly reduce wastewater disposal and treatment costs. Battelle collaborated with Chicago-based private equity fund D-H20, L.L.C., which owns several patents and patent applications related to the general technology.

The PEF process uses high voltage (kV level) pulses of short (<10 microseconds) duration at a high frequency. Under these conditions, cellular biomass is disrupted leading to release of intracellular water. Battelle has taken advantage of this phenomenon to develop a practical process, compatible with existing biological (secondary) wastewater treatment systems, to reduce biosolids requiring disposal.

Following testing at Battelle's Columbus, Ohio laboratories, Battelle tested it at a Central Ohio municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP). The PEF system treated 1.8 tons per day of waste activated sludge, which is one third of the nominal plant output. "Testing in 2001 demonstrated over 50 percent reduction in biosolids requiring disposal with no adverse effect on the MWTP effluent," said Battelle's Satya P. Chauhan, co-inventor and program manager. The PEF/biosolids process is relatively low in capital and operating costs. With an estimated 7 million dry tons per year of biosolids generated in the municipal waste treatments plants in the United States alone and the high cost of disposal, the process can greatly reduce secondary wastewater treatment costs and provide an attractive return on investment.

Battelle is currently designing a 5 to 10 ton (dry) per day PEF unit for full-scale demonstration and implementation in summer of 2002. Battelle and D-H20 are seeking industrial firms interested in using the process. Interested industrial firms should contact Satya Chauhan at (614) 424-4812 or at chauhan@battelle.org.

Battelle serves industry and government in the areas of technology development, laboratory management, and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle has annual revenues of $1 billion, has operations at more than 100 locations and clients in 30 countries. It counts as its successes the development of the office copier machine (Xerox), pioneering work on the compact disc, medical technology breakthroughs, and fiber optic advancements for telecommunications.

For any other information, contact Battelle Media Relations Manager, Katy Delaney at (614) 424-5544 or at delaneyk@battelle.org. Visit www.battelle.org for information on Battelle.