The Lewabrane membrane elements manufactured in Bitterfeld by specialty chemicals company LANXESS for water treatment using reverse osmosis comply with the “NSF/ANSI Standard 61” for health-related implications of drinking water system components. The U.S. National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International) has certified that all brackish water membrane elements currently offered by LANXESS are safe for use in the treatment of drinking water.

“This quality certificate is necessary for treating drinking water and, with it, we can now access an additional market with strong potential for growth. It confirms the high quality of our products and thus increases customer confidence in our membranes even more,” says Alan Sharpe, head of the RO Membrane Project in the Liquid Purification Technologies (LPT) business unit of LANXESS. Continuing, he explains: “In most countries, compliance with NSF Standard 61 is a basic prerequisite for usage in drinking water applications and therefore a key quality indicator.”

In many parts of the world, particularly industrialized countries, drinking water is treated centrally and in large quantities in municipal or regional plants. There are also smaller, decentralized plants in hotels, restaurants, on passenger ships or in remote communities, for example.

The primary aim of the NSF Standard 61 is the objective evaluation and limitation of impurities and admixtures that are added to drinking water indirectly due to the products, components and materials used in the treatment process. The NSF standard is designed to protect public health and the environment.

Founded in 1944, the independent organization NSF International is the world's largest testing and certification body for drinking water systems and components. It is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). “Products certified by NSF International are also highly valued outside North America. In addition to Europe and Asia, this is also true of Australia and the Middle East, for example. These are all regions in which we see high market potential,” says Sharpe.

Given escalating environmental pollution and the steady rise in water consumption as a result of ongoing population growth and industrial requirements, the demand for clean water will continue to rise. With its innovative solutions for cleaning and treating drinking water, wastewater and industrial process water, LANXESS is supplying a growth market worth billions with products for all aspects of water, one of today's megatrends.

Details on these reverse osmosis membrane elements are available on the internet at www.lewabrane.com.

The Liquid Purification Technologies business unit is part of LANXESS' Performance Chemicals segment, which recorded sales of EUR 2.2 billion in fiscal 2012.