Biowaste Treatment System Goes Global 

Suncombe, a UK based cleaning, washing and critical process engineering company, has announced the global release of the EDS+™ BioWaste Treatment System for biologically hazardous waste decontamination and growth media sterilisation. The systems, certified to ASME and ISO/EN standards, are now suitable for local standardisation and offer dual controls in the local language and English. 

Following 5 years of successful internal and external testing Suncombe’s newest EDS+ system has been considerably enhanced to include a number of major technical advances, including thermal energy regeneration, dual redundancy, anti-foam control, pH neutralisation, 100 per cent positive release for treated waste and electronic records generation.

The EDS+ is designed for waste levels from BSL1 to BSL4 and is typically used in the biopharma sector, laboratories and research institutes. Recent commissions include large state-of-the-art BSL4 effluent treatment facilities for research institutes, as well as Biopharma R&D and production facilities. The EDS+ proved to be a perfect solution for all of these requirements.

Extensively used in biopharmaceutical processing, genetically modified Chinese hamster ovary cells are classed as genetically modified microorganisms (GMM). Regulations call for waste containing Class 2 to 4 GMM to be inactivated prior to release. The new EDS+ System addresses this by providing multiple inactivation functions including variable temperature thermal kill, thermo-chemical kill and chemical kill.

The pre-designed system incorporates one or two vessels which are used for both collection and treatment and provide dual redundancy in the event of downtime. With capacities varied to suit a wide range of waste volume, the systems are supplied with controls and interlocking functionality to ensure containment is constantly maintained and there is always a positive release prior to discharge of treated waste.

Commenting on the worldwide release of the system, Suncombe director Steve Overton said, “The EDS+ is able to provide a comprehensive and validatable biowaste treatment solution in all parts of the world and is able to meet relevant international standards. The increased flexibility of the system enables its use at biotech plants and laboratories, as well as research organisations.”

Complying with globally recognised regulations, the containment envelope and requirements are assessed for each project individually to provide a robust, reliable method of collection and storage of liquid waste streams, up to 20,000 litres per day.

Primarily used for thermal inactivation, the EDS+ also offers a back-up or alternative chemical and thermo chemical facility. Features of the system include: thermal regeneration of up to 75 per cent using a two tank system; pH Neutralisation; controlled addition of anti-foam; self CIP; positive release of treated waste can be manual or automatic; and validatable electronic records provided for all treatment parameters.