
doi: 10.1111/hdi.12117
pmid: 24319997
AbstractHemodialysis is one of the most water and energy‐hungry medical procedures, and thus represents a clear opportunity where improvements should be made concerning the consumption and wastage of water. Three levels were investigated on which there are potential savings: the precise adjustment of water production according to specific needs, the reuse of reverse osmosis rejected water, and finally the huge volumes of post‐patient dialysate effluent. The “AURAL” (Association pour l′Utilisation du Rein Artificiel à Lyon), main unit in Lyon, was the site of investigation for this study, which cares for 173 chronic hemodialysis patients. Evaluation of the 3 levels described earlier was undertaken on this particular building, and on the water treatment currently used. Volumes of produced water can be improved by different hydraulic systems or by adjusting the pure water conductivity used for dialysis. Concerning the reject water, reuse for building sanitation became the focus of further attention. The technical feasibility, volume of saved water, and applicable work costs were considered. The results suggest that out of a possible 2834 m3/year of reject water, 1200 m3/year may be reused and return on investment recovered within 5.8 years. Finally, the reprocessing and feasibility of reuse of dialysate effluent were investigated. Initial calculations show that although technical solutions are available, such processing of the wastewater production is not profitable in the short term. Regarding the significant prior authorization and risk management analysis necessary for such a project, this avenue was pursued no further. From the perspective of a “green dialysis,” the reuse of reject water into sanitation is both viable and profitable in our unit, and must be the next step of our project. More widely, improvements can be made by defining a more precise range of pure water conductivity for dialysis and by applying reuse water project to new or to be renovated units.
690, [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio], Conservation of Natural Resources, Renal Dialysis, [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio], Humans, Water, Water Purification
690, [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio], Conservation of Natural Resources, Renal Dialysis, [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio], Humans, Water, Water Purification
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 32 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
