Protection of the environment is a major issue of our time, and great efforts are being made to ensure that essential water supplies are carefully maintained and purified, air quality is improved and polluted land reclaimed. In all of these environmental areas Solvay chemicals have a lot to offer.

Water purification
Municipal water authorities take fresh water and treat it to make it suitable for human consumption, often using Solvay products such as disinfectants and oxygenating agents. After use the same authorities must treat the contaminated water to a level of cleanliness that it can be returned to the environment safely.
Used domestic water and industrial effluent must be filtered and purified before it can be discharged back into rivers. Solvay chlorinated organic products serve vital roles in water treatment by chemically removing suspensions of organic and inorganic matter. Hydrogen peroxide, a source of active oxygen, serves to oxygenate surface waters or to treat cases of serious pollution. Peroxides are used to detoxify, deodorise and clean water effluent. Disinfection techniques using peracetic acid are employed by municipal authorities to speed up sewage treatment (by eliminating sludge swelling).

Stabilising contaminated soil
Contaminated soils, too, can be purified. The Solvay Novosol® process offers a high performance, reliable and cost effective solution for treating a wide range of soils contaminated with heavy metals and organic materials, such as dredging sludge, which can be treated and recycled.

Reducing flue gas emissions
Solvay has also developed a cost-effective process for the purification of municipal and industrial incinerator flue gases and chimney emissions. The Neutrec® process is a cost-effective procedure for removing acid compounds, dioxins and heavy metals from these emissions.