China's First Electron Beam Irradiation Medical Sewage Treatment Project Goes into Service

China's first electron beam irradiation medical sewage treatment demonstration project that can effectively kill pathogenic bacteria and viruses in medical water went into operation in Shiyan, Central China's Hubei province, on Nov 19.

The treated water in this project could meet China's discharge standards of water pollutants for medical organizations, according to the authorities.

The project now can handle as much as 400 tons of medical sewage daily.

China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) and the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology of Tsinghua University started research on the medical sewage treatment project using an electron beam this February in response to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Based on the technology, the emergency treatment facility for medical waste irradiation was selected as a nuclear technology promotion application this April with the support of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

Compared to the traditional treatment, the electron beam has stronger penetrating power, a more rapid response and higher treatment efficiency. The beam can also go through solid particles and completely kill bacteria while eliminating other organic pollutants.

As a new environmental protection technology, electron beam irradiation has been successfully applied in several projects before to treat medical solid waste, pharmaceutical waste water, antibiotic residues and landfill leachate. It has also been used to preserve agricultural products.

The world's largest electron beam industrial waste water treatment project, being able to handle up to 30,000 tons daily, went into operation on June 5 this year in Jiangmen, East China's Guangdong province.

In terms of food preservation, China's first electron beam-based food freshness preservation center built by CGN went into service on Oct 29 in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

China's first electron beam irradiation medical waste water treatment demonstration project starts operation in Shiyan, Central China's Hubei province, on Nov 19. [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

A close look at a facility of the electron beam irradiation medical waste water treatment demonstration project in Shiyan [Photo/sasac.gov.cn]

(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)