SolmeteX
When the Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs challenged the health care industry to eliminate
the use and release of mercury into Boston Harbor, the agency turned
to the EBTC to evaluate new technology. The Center employed Dr.
Gordon Wallace, a UMass professor with a national reputation in
this field, to develop a practical protocol for identifying the
sources of mercury in clinical labs and dental facilities. Then
Dr. Gordon identified and evaluated the performance, operation and
maintenance, and cost of various mercury pretreatment systems through
full-scale pilot testing.
  The
Center found most of the technologies to be effective in reducing
mercury to the level needed to meet the zero-discharge standard.
As a result, the state found it reasonable to maintain the zero
discharge policy. The use of these technologies has expanded, and
the amount of mercury discharged to Boston Harbor is declining.
One of the participating technology companies, Northborough, Massachusetts
based SolmeteX, has developed small systems based on its proprietary
separation technology to provide cost-effective means for capturing
and recycling mercury at the source. The investment community has
provided $5.7 million to launch this point-of-use product.
"The Center has been with us through the key steps in our
development, and has directly contributed to our growth,"
-- Owen Boyd, CEO Solmetex.
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