TORONTO, Dec. 15 /CNW/ - Dr. Gene Shelp, President and CEO of ENPAR Technologies Inc. ("ENPAR"), is pleased to announce that the company has been granted a European Patent for the electrochemical treatment of water contaminated with nitrogenous compounds including nitrate. Previously, patents for this technology were granted in the United States (2000) and Canada (2006).
The patented system complements conventional technologies for treating water, such as ion exchange and reverse osmosis, which produce solutions containing very high levels of nitrate. ENPAR's system converts nitrate directly into benign nitrogen gas, resulting in improved water recovery and enabling the recycling of ion exchange brine.
Nitrate is a highly mobile, long-lived contaminant of ground and surface waters worldwide. The accumulation of nitrate in the environment results mainly from:
- non-point source runoff from land due to the over-application of
fertilizer nitrogen or sewage sludge;
- point-sources such as livestock feed operations, municipal waste
water treatment systems, and septic systems
- industrial sites such as certain chemical, paper or munitions
manufacturing, and mining operations; and,
- burning of fossil fuels in power plants and vehicles.
Chronic consumption of high levels of nitrate represents a serious health threat. Nitrate poisoning, for example, is associated with "blue baby syndrome" and other health problems such as cancer in humans, as well as reduced vitality and increased stillbirth, low birth weight, and slow weight gain and even death of animals.
The granting of this patent reaffirms ENPAR's commitment to the on-going development of state-of-the-art technologies to address emerging water quality issues globally.
ENPAR is a "Technology Company" applying its patented and proprietary "Electrochemical Technologies" to the treatment of waste water and drinking water contaminated by metals or nutrients i.e., nitrate/ammonia associated with the mining, metal processing, chemical, agricultural, municipal and waste management sectors. The common shares trade on Tier ll of the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "ENP".
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbour" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause ENPAR Technologies Inc. results to differ materially from expectations. These include risks relating to market fluctuations, property performance and other risks. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof.