6 Water / Wastewater


Are you drinking PFAS?


According to a study by Harvard University, more than 16 million residents in America regularly drink water that is contaminated with toxic chemicals from military and industrial sites. The toxic chemicals in question are poly- and perfl uoroalkyl substances – also known as PFAS.


Typically used in fi re retardants, oil & water repellents, furniture, waterproof clothes and non- stick cookware, the high number of PFAS found in drinking water is a concern for many. The study, published in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, found PFAS in water systems that serve over 16 million people across 33 states in America.


What are PFAS?


Essentially, PFAS are a family of man-made chemicals, including: • perfl uorooctanoic acid (PFOA) • perfl uorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) • perfl uorononanoic acid (PFNA) • perfl uorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) • perfl uordecanoic acid (PFDeA)


With a number of useful properties, such as the ability to repel water, prevent staining and increase heat resistance, these chemicals are widely used within the manufacturing industries.


PFAS contamination


PFAS can be found in the air, soil and water. The polluted substances will break down in the air, fall into the soil and eventually end up in the water system. However, once the chemicals enter the soil and water, they will not break down further. According to Michigan’s ‘PFAS Action Response Team’, “PFAS move easily through the ground, getting into groundwater that is used for some water supplies or for private drinking water wells”.


Drinking water contamination most often occurs in areas close to manufacturing plants and industrial areas as these places tend to use the chemicals to make consumer products. Also, due to the chemical’s presence in fi refi ghting foams, fi re training schools, airports and places with a major fi re history may have large releases of PFAS.


Health impacts of PFAS contamination


According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, there are a number of health impacts of PFAS exposure, including:


• Reduce fertility in women • Increase cholesterol levels • Increase the risk of certain cancers • Aff ect the immune system • Impact the growth, learning and behaviour of children • Interfere with natural hormone production


For the most part, these health impacts have been determined through laboratory studies, looking at the impact of these chemicals on animals. However, as animals and humans process chemicals diff erently, more research needs to be done in order to allow a full understanding of the aff ect of PFAS on human health.


To learn more about the impact of these chemicals on humans, take a look at the e-learning video ‘Analysis of per- and polyfl uoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human blood: methodology and challenges’ to discover some of the challenges faced when it comes to analysing human health impacts.


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IET MARCH / APRIL 2022


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New, advanced clamp-on fl owmeters for water, wastewater, and other process industry applications


Prosonic Flow W 400 brings the modern technology of Endress+Hauser’s Proline device series to clamp-on ultrasonic fl owmeters. The W 400 clamp-on and I 400 insertion units provide comprehensive process monitoring with long-term cost effi ciency and extensive diagnostics. These sensors pair with Endress+Hauser’s Proline 400 transmitter to provide a complete fl ow metering solution.


For decades, users in many process industries have turned to ultrasonic clamp- on instruments for convenient fl ow measurement. This trend continues, but with growing requirements for instrument data. Prosonic Flow W 400 addresses this and other issues by providing reliable measurements of process parameters, along with a host of additional information.


The fl owmeter uses a nonintrusive, clamp-on measurement method, with its ultrasonic sensors mounted directly on a pipe’s exterior. This provides safe measurement of many fl uids, independent of their conductivity or other properties. This includes corrosive, abrasive, and toxic fl uids, making this fl owmeter ideal for monitoring countless processes.


Because neither piping nor process fl ow are interrupted, clamp-on fl owmeters can be easily used for retrofi tting at any time. They are suitable for low- or high-pressure applications, on pipes smaller than an inch in diameter, and up to 160 inches, such as those encountered in water distribution.


This size range illustrates the Prosonic Flow W 400 measurement solution’s versatility. It can be used to measure fl ow, monitor processes, verify previously installed fl owmeters, detect leaks in a pipeline, and for other applications.


The fl owmeter’s IP68 Type 6P submergence-rated ultrasonic sensors provide long-term and reliable operation, requiring little maintenance. This makes them suitable for use in harsh process and ambient conditions, able to withstand temperatures from –40 to +266 °F.


The Proline 400 transmitter includes a built-in web server, so users can access process, diagnostic, confi guration, and other instrument data via any device capable of hosting a web browser, such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet.


The transmitter provides targeted parameterization of measuring points, and it saves time during commissioning, maintenance, and service. Its LCD display and web-based operating tool each show real-time measurement quality—good, acceptable, or bad—to provide key status information at a glance.


Piping systems in the process industry often have multiple fi ttings and elbows that disturb the fl ow profi le and, along with it, the accuracy of ultrasonic fl ow measurement. The Prosonic Flow W 400 solution is optionally available with Endress+Hauser’s FlowDC function, which detects and corrects for the effects of fl ow disturbance. This ensures measurement accuracy even in the presence of a short pipe inlet run, for example when signifi cantly reduced from the standard 15 pipe diameters down to two. The FlowDC function increases fl exibility for equipping new or retrofi tted systems with clamp-on fl owmeters.


Heartbeat Technology—a testing function integrated into all Endress+Hauser Proline measuring devices—provides instrumentation self- diagnostics, along with traceable measurement verifi cation during operation. This technology monitors for changes to the instrument electronics and sensors caused by extreme environmental or process conditions, increasing measurement integrity.


Prosonic Flow W 400 can be mounted on a wide variety of pipe types and materials with or without lining, including metal—e.g., steel or cast iron—plastic, glass-fi ber-reinforced plastic, and composite materials. A maintenance-free contact medium, called a coupling pad, provides optimum sound transmission between sensor surface and the pipe, and the resulting high signal strength ensures stable measurement results and long-term reliability. These clamp-on fl ow sensors are available in multiple ultrasonic frequencies ranging from 0.3 to 5 MHz, optimized for application pipe size, pipe material, and fl uid.


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NIVUS is expanding its range of clamp-on sensors to include another variant that works based on the ultrasonic transit time difference. Due to the measuring frequency of 500 kHz, these sensors are suitable for large pipe diameters or for pipe wall materials such as asbestos, cement, GRP or a multi-layer structure. The new sensors also excel in pipes with wall thicknesses of up to 30 mm. Compared to the 1 MHz version also offered, the new version can detect higher fl ow velocities even better. Another advantage is the increased acoustic penetrability through the fl uid. The signal is not so strongly attenuated, e.g. in the case of solids, gas bubbles or deposits on the inner wall of the pipe.


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The clamp-on sensors are mounted on the pipe from the outside and measure without contact. This eliminates the need for drilling or similar mechanical stresses on the pipe. An interruption of the process for installation or maintenance is therefore also not necessary. In addition, this technology allows compliance with the highest hygiene standards due to the lack of contact with the measured medium. The high degree of protection of the sensors according to IP68 enables their use even under the harshest conditions. For example, the sensors can be permanently buried in the ground with the help of suitable devices. Special polymer pads ensure a permanently reliable acoustic coupling between the sensor and the pipe.


For the use of the sensors, the measurement technology manufacturer offers permanent transmitters for classic installation in control cabinets or indoors. NIVUS GmbH also provides robust and battery-operated transmitters for temporary or permanent use in harsh environmental conditions. In combination with the NIVUS solar solution, it enables permanent measuring operation even at measurement places where there is no power supply. All systems allow for data access via an online measurement data portal.


Typical applications for the new clamp-on sensors are: drinking water pipelines with large nominal diameters or special pipe wall materials, corroded and incrusted pipelines, monitoring of water infl ows, monitoring of pressure pipelines, recording of turbine effi ciency or recording of cooling process water demand, as well as recirculation pipelines with a high solids content.


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Contactless fl ow sensor for large pipes


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