Pureco is a sustainable solution to one of the biggest problems of our time

Their system, called the AsMET, generates only a small amount of hazardous waste, as the arsenic-binding material in the cleaning tanks can be replaced after washing. Based on cerium hydroxide, they offer an economical and simple solution for reducing arsenic, boron, iodine and fluoride levels in drinking and irrigation water.

Properties of the AsMET Desulfurization adsorbent:

• reduces arsenic concentrations to below 1 μg/l (WHO standard 10 mg/l)
• binds As (III) and As (V) in water
• the temperature of the water to be treated must not exceed 50 °C

Reuse, circular approach

The biggest advantage of their product, manufactured in Jászfényszarun, is that the adsorbents (binders) used to purify water can be regenerated, meaning that once saturated, they do not have to be thrown away as with the devices currently in use, but can be reused by simply washing them. Thanks to this solution, the amount of hazardous waste generated is low, while the lifetime of regenerable adsorbents can be between 7 and 10 years, which is more than ten times longer than the lifetime of those currently in use.

Regenerative adsorbent-based drinking water treatment technology is also a green solution because the solvent from the wash water used in adsorbent production is recovered for reuse by two-step distillation, so the waste to be treated is only 2%.

Since the system works with water flow, it can be easily integrated into the existing technological line, as was done in the Tiszagyenda Waterworks.

Domestic production, domestic example - arsenic removal in Tiszagyenda

A good example of the use of the purification system is their most recent domestic reference, the AsMET arsenic removal technology installed at the Tiszagyenda waterworks, which is cost-effective and has been implemented on a long-term lease structure to support development.

Arsenic levels in the municipality were about ten times the limit value. Previously, this was neutralised by adding large amounts of iron oxide, but this has turned the purified water yellowish-brown and created a significant amount of arsenic sludge, which has to be treated as hazardous waste. This has been resolved with the recent investment, which has included the installation of a new regenerable adsorbent-based water purification technology to match the existing technology. Moreover, this was done without increasing the burden on consumers, as the new system has achieved cost savings in excess of 55%.

Protecting our resources

Due to the long adsorbent lifetime and the low cost of commercially available chemical regeneration, their solution is therefore incredibly cost-effective, especially compared to single-use adsorbent versions. In addition, the operational consumer and maintenance costs are minimal, especially if the system is inherently designed for this purpose in a water quality improvement development. This is further enhanced by the fact that the products are supplied in standard unit tanks with a wide range of sizes to match the capacity.

It is no coincidence that the Hungarian-made, high-quality adsorbents of the Pureco Cégcsoport, whose recyclability slows down the depletion of natural resources, have been shipped to several continents (outside Europe, to Africa and Asia) and are still being used successfully. The circular economy is an important element of sustainable development, and the use of sustainable products makes a significant contribution to this by reducing energy and resource use.