purify

Separately, the US firm Electra is taking a different approach to producing highly purified iron from ores.

One difference is that water is not metered and directly charged in Scotland where purifying, pumping and piping the stuff around is funded through the council tax.

Under state rules adopted in 2023, the purified water that’s generated could eventually be pumped directly into pipes to supply drinking water.

"The objective of the liquid separation unit will be to purify cerium on one side, lanthanum on the other side," explains production manager Florian Gouneau as we walk up a flight of metal stairs.

The product is made from small, purified doses of botulinum toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.