Nicotine Removal
The tobacco industry has had to reinvent itself in recent years, producing a range of nicotine replacement therapy products like nicotine gum, patches, lozenges, and snus as well as IQOS and vaping products.
These new products have different manufacturing processes from traditional tobacco manufacturing. Indeed most of the new products are produced by pharmaceutical and specialty chemical companies.
As with most production processes, water is used in the production of nicotine replacement therapy products. As a result, the wastewater contains nicotine, which needs to be removed for compliant discharge to the sewer.
A common solution to nicotine removal from water has been incineration, which is extremely expensive not just financially, but also to the environment. But now there is a much more cost-effective and eco-friendly solution, Nyex.
CASE STUDY: Nicotine Removal for Nicotine Gum Manufacturer
We have been working with one of the largest producers of nicotine gum. You can see from the table the characteristics of the wastewater.
The goal was to remove the nicotine from the waste stream to a concentration lower than 1 mg/L in order to allow the discharging of the effluent into the municipal sewage system.
Nicotine Removal Solution
The solution was to use our Nyex™-a system which combines adsorption with electrochemical oxidation in a single, scalable unit.
The Nyex process can remove nicotine to a very low concentration. It offers no sludge production, a small footprint, and a scalable design that can accommodate any flow rate.
Nicotine is adsorbed onto the media and then completely mineralized. This leaves the media regenerated and ready for further adsorption without interruption or incineration.
Results are achieved without chemical dosing or the generation of sludge, reducing both financial and environmental costs.
Nicotine Removal Results
The Nyex-a system easily achieved 99% removal, consuming 10.4 kWh/m3, which saved our client large incineration costs.
Nyex provides an on-site treatment that requires no regular maintenance and uses electricity to oxidize contaminants at room temperature and pressure, which is a considerably more efficient method of removing organic contaminants, contributing fewer carbon emissions as part of the broader sustainability targets for companies.
The Nyex process can remove nicotine to a very low concentration. It offers no sludge production, a small footprint, and a scalable design that can accommodate any flow rate.
To know more, please check Arvia.