The Global Environment Research Laboratories was launched in June 2002 in tandem with the Water Treatment Division, for advanced water treatment technology and materials research.

The 21st century is already known as the "water century," with global demand for clean water rising through the early years of the era. The scarcity and increased pollution of water resources has become an acute global issue, with keen demands for water capable of sustainable water resources for drinking, industrial and agricultural needs.

The Global Environment Research Laboratories promotes research into scientific and technological solutions with the focus on water environment problems. To address the sophisticated needs for diversified water treatment, efforts are made to further develop advances in polymeric separation membrane technology and other Toray fortes. The Laboratories has realized fundamental technologies in reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for ultrapure water production and other industrial uses, seawater desalination to produce safe drinking water, wastewater treatment and reuse, nanofiltration (NF), ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) membranes to support water purification and other separation membranes for water treatment systems.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow-fiber MF membrane for drinking water production and PVDF immersed MF membrane for waste water treatment have been certified for superb separation performance in proving tests worldwide. The PVDF hollow-fiber MF membrane is a new hollow-fiber membrane using PVDF, renowned for outstanding chemical durability and featuring meticulous pore-size distribution, high flux ratio and rugged physical stability. While the conventional approach had difficulties with compatibility between filtration speed and physical stability, this Toray original manufacturing breakthrough has harmonized those two conflicting needs.

The Laboratories made a pioneering breakthrough with a new addition to the Toray Romembra* (a fully aromatic polyamide RO membrane) line - a "high boron rejection seawater desalination reverse osmosis membrane element" with half the boron permeation of conventional membranes. Boron is a substance prone to cause reproductive toxicity when ingested into the bodies of animals, leading to its regulation in drinking water. The Toray seawater desalination use RO membrane further improves the ability to maintain superb water quality, thanks to durability that upholds outstanding performance over extended periods and the world's highest boron removal rate.

To help resolve today's increasingly serious global water shortages, the Laboratories also conducts research on microorganism-based environmental technologies, advanced water treatment processes and other key efforts.

Recently completed was basic technology for a zero-emissions membrane bioreactor (MBR) generating minimal surplus sludge waste - the first such development to proceed to the proving test stage.

The Laboratories remains fully committed to state-of-the-art water treatment technologies both stellar in efficiency and environmental friendly.