Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made “forever chemicals” that were introduced in the 1950s. Over 15,000 different types have been used in everyday products!

PFAS can be present in our water, soil, air, and food as well as in materials found in our homes or workplaces, including:

• Drinking water – in public drinking water systems and private drinking water wells.
• Soil and water at or near waste sites - at landfills, disposal sites, and hazardous waste sites such as those that fall under the federal Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act programs.
• Fire extinguishing foam - in aqueous film-forming foams (or AFFFs) used to extinguish flammable liquid-based fires.  Such foams are used in training and emergency response events at airports, shipyards, military bases, firefighting training facilities, chemical plants, and refineries.
• Manufacturing or chemical production facilities that produce or use PFAS – for example at chrome plating, electronics, and certain textile and paper manufacturers.
• Food – for example in fish caught from water contaminated by PFAS and dairy products from livestock exposed to PFAS.
• Food packaging – for example in grease-resistant paper, fast food containers/wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and candy wrappers.
• Household products and dust – for example in stain and water-repellent used on carpets, upholstery, clothing, and other fabrics; cleaning products; non-stick cookware; paints, varnishes, and sealants.
• Personal care products – for example in certain shampoo, dental floss, and cosmetics.
• Biosolids – for example fertilizer from wastewater treatment plants that is used on agricultural lands can affect ground and surface water and animals that graze on the land.

 

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 97% of Americans have PFAS in their blood!

Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

There are many sources of PFAS contamination

The most common pathway for PFAS is contaminated water

Current PFAS Removal Methods

Currently, the industry is using filtration techniques to remove PFAS. These include granular activated carbon, ion exchange resins, and high-pressure membrane systems (reverse osmosis). The problem with filtration is that it requires additional steps to destroy the PFAS. First, the "concentrate" has to be transported to a waste disposal site, and then it has to be destroyed by secondary operations such as chemical processes or heat. This adds a lot of cost and complexity. Basically, filtration kicks the can down the road to be dealt with later on.

 

Our Technology Advantage

Our PFAS removal systems are installed onsite, where the fluorinated molecules break down through a two-stage remedial mechanism.  We can deploy our systems at water distribution, wastewater plants, or waste sites where PFAS concentrate (filtration byproduct) has been collected. the end result is that the "forever chemicals" are broken down into safe, biodegradable elements.

 

Our patented process involves two steps:

First we use a catalyst such as Palladium to knock off a few of the fluorine atoms from the chain. This is done by using a membrane catalyst film reactor, or MCfR.

 

Next, we use a membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) to break down the remaining fluorine chain.  The MBfR uses naturally occurring microorganisms to remove contaminants from water. The "forever chemicals" are thus reduced to biodegradable materials that are no longer hazardous.

 

The advantage of our technology is that it leaves no residual environmental waste and therefore no transportation to waste sites will be needed. This also eliminates any secondary destruction/neutralization process (cost elimination due to energy usage and transportation) that are normally  used with filtration methods.

 

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