The topics of water and climate protection are increasingly receiving attention. According to a study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), ten out of every hundred people run the risk of experiencing absolute water scarcity in the event of global warming of three degrees Celsius. In its policy paper dated August 2019, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) clarified that effected regions will be better equipped when water is protected and used sustainably. One example includes the water kiosk in a Kenyan village, for which specialty chemicals company LANXESS supplies its reverse osmosis membrane elements.
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LANXESS helps combat water shortages with membrane elements
The Burani WaterKiosk is one of Boreal Light’s solar-powered water treatment projects to enable access to clean drinking water. The Berlin-based company specialises in water treatment solutions powered by solar energy.
The kiosk was built in partnership with atmosfair gGmbH, also based in Berlin.
Boreal Light CEO Hamed Beheshti said: “Only about half of Kenyans have access to clean drinking water. Those who cannot afford a tap water supply often have to walk more than 10km to collect non-potable water from a borehole. The Burani WaterKiosk is a real relief for residents.”
Eight Lewabrane membrane elements with a total membrane surface area of more than 50 square metres are being used to supply the population with clean water in the village. Raw water with a high salt content comes from a borehole and treated to become drinking water using solar-powered reverse osmosis.
LANXESS’ Dr Jens Lipnizki said: “Under standard conditions, salt retention of our reverse osmosis elements for brackish water is approximately 99.7 per cent. The retention of organic compounds is often even better, so that critical substances can also be removed.”
Lewabrane membrane elements are produced in a state-of-the-art, fully automated production facility in Bitterfeld, Germany. The chemistry approach for the membrane places the emphasis on higher cross-linking of the polyamide layer and, therefore, higher resistance to cleaning chemicals, more stable rejection of mixed ion salt solutions, and lower surface charge on the membrane to reduce the fouling tendency.