Treatment of Perchlorate Using Single-Use Ion-Exchange Resins

Single-use ion-exchange resins have been introduced as an alternative to conventional ion-exchange treatment of perchlorate-contaminated groundwater. These highly selective resins are typically utilized in a simple fixed-bed configuration. Once exhausted, the resin is simply removed and replaced with fresh resin. The exhausted resin is either disposed of, typically by means of incineration, or regenerated at a centralized processing facility that is suited to managing the exotic regeneration procedure and hazardous chemicals. The purpose of this project was to update the existing report Treatability of Perchlorate in Groundwater Using Ion-Exchange Technology-Phase II, with a discussion of the use of non-regenerable ion-exchange resins for perchlorate removal, anticipated impacts on water quality, and the associated costs for this perchlorate treatment approach. The results were based on readily available public information and discussions with two suppliers, Calgon Carbon Corporation and US Filter. Task 1: Description of Single-Use Ion Exchange Systems A discussion of the differences between single-use ion exchange technology systems and conventional ion exchange systems (regenerable) was presented to provide a contextual reference for the subsequent evaluations described in the following tasks. Task 2: Impact of Water Quality on Single-Use Resins Using at least four different resins (polyacrylic resins, sulfate-selective polystyrene resins, and two nitrate-selective polystyrene resins with high perchlorate selectivity), run lengths to perchlorate breakthrough were predicted for a range of water qualities. Task 3: Engineering Analysis of Water Quality on Single-Use Resins An engineering analysis was performed using the information obtained from Task 2 to develop preliminary cost estimates of single-use systems for a range of water quality conditions.