The motto of this year’s Bremen Colloquium from September 28 to 29, 2009 was “The reclamation of resources from waste water and the examination of the future effects of climate change on technology and the economy”.

Around 70 representatives of German universities and industry experts met for two days in order to inform each other with mutual presentations and subsequent detailed discussions.

The topic of “resource reclamation from waste water” focused on three points:

• The extraction of phosphorous and nitrogen compounds from municipal sewage sludge for the production of fertilisers
• The reclamation of inorganic resources such as metals, acids and electrolytes
• Generating energy from waste water, e.g. through the production of biogas or the extraction of heat from waste water using heat pumps
  

Stefan Neumann from the Business Unit Ion Exchange Resins gave a presentation on the second point. Based on numerous practical examples, he showed how Lewatit® ion exchange and adsorber resins can be successfully used in the reclamation of resources.“Demand for the further development of environmental technologies remains high,” Neumann said at the convention. “We at LANXESS develop innovative products and solutions that help protect the climate and environment. Climate protection in particular will gain importance in the future.”