The outbreak of SARS in China has focused the attention of the Chinese government on public sanitation to prevent further transmission of SARS. While contaminated water droplets appear to be the major transmitter of the SARS virus, the outbreak in a residential complex in Hong Kong revealed that excrement is another way of transmission. Reports show that viruses like the SARS virus can live for long periods of time in water. Therefore, the Chinese government is paying more attention to the safety and improvement of wastewater treatment and disinfection systems. Hospital wastewater treatment is among the most urgent. The central government will allocate a special fund of RMB 200 million (equivalent to USD 24 million) in the first step to support the waste treatment in hospitals. This will mainly cover SARS designated hospitals and hospitals in China’s northwestern area.
The Ministry of Construction (MOC) is undertaking the planning of wastewater treatment for nation-wide hospitals. State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) is responsible for setting up the effluent standards. SEPA will conduct a national hospital survey and release new regulations on hospital wastewater discharge in the second half of 2003. The Environmental Science & Engineering Department (ESED) of Tsinghua University is responsible for technology selection of safe wastewater treatment systems for hospitals. To meet the safety standard for hospital wastewater disposal, the closed Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) process has been recommended to the Chinese government by ESED. The MBR technology has been listed on SEPA’s recommended technologies for promotion. The basic design of demonstration project is now in process. Tsinghua Novel E&E Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. is authorized for design, manufacturing and sales of the MBR. They are looking for a foreign membrane that can provide membrane material for their designed wastewater treatment unit. The basic requirements of the membrane are:
- High removal rate of bacteria and virus (higher than 99.99%)
- Bacteria removal rate no less than 5 log;
- Virus removal no less than 2 log;
- Can be cleaned and has a service life no less than 2 years;
- Easy operation and 5-year-plus membrane life period.
- Membrane should be in the shape of units, which can be easily installed into membrane modules;
Based on limited statistics, there are 22,000 hospitals in mainland China, among which, approximately 2000 are large-size, comprehensive hospitals. Among which, Beijing has around 800 hospitals; including 200 that are large and comprehensive in nature. As the government is determined to gradually improve wastewater treatment systems in hospitals, the potential market could be lucrative for the technology currently under trial.
To promote the technology, Tsinghua hopes to receive support from the U.S. Department of Commerce & U.S. Embassy of China as well as membrane manufactures in the U.S., especially those that have great experience in Membrane Bioreactor technology and have interests in exploring the China market. However, Tsinghua has already been approached by some leading membrane manufactures from Japan and Canada.
Therefore, U.S. companies interested in membrane supply should send your contact information to U.S. Embassy Beijing before the end of June. Each designated hospital is expected to receive central government’s allocation then. The wastewater treatment work will be anticipated to start in July. Each designated hospital is expected to receive central government’s allocation by end of June. The wastewater treatment work will be anticipated to start in July. The contact information is as follows:
Xiaolei Wan, Commercial Specialist
Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy
31/F North Tower, Kerry Center,
1 Guanghua Road, 100020
Tel: 8610-8529-6655 x 839
Fax: 8610-8529-6558
Email: xiaolei.wan@mail.doc.gov
http://www.buyusa.gov/china/en