Water contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds is one of the most significant environmental and health issues globally. In particular, effectively breaking the carbon-fluorine bonds that are paramount to the stability and persistent nature of PFAS is extremely challenging in industrial settings. A new approach to PFAS remediation developed by H2Plus (Grand Junction, Colo.; www.h2plus.com) targets these bonds specifically to provide more comprehensive PFAS treatment than typical PFAS-capture technologies, such as granular activated carbon, ion-exchange resin and foam fractionation. “The patented process restructures water molecules to create highly reactive species capable of breaking the ultra-strong carbon-fluorine bonds found in PFAS. These initiate rapid, non-thermal degradation of PFAS compounds, ultimately reducing them to harmless byproducts like carbon dioxide, fluoride ions and water. Unlike conventional capture systems, our process destroys PFAS at the molecular level, rather than transferring or concentrating them elsewhere,” explains Aaron Ellis, chief marketing officer at H2Plus.
The technology’s effectiveness depends on a specialized reactor that can generate reactive intermediates to provide enough reducing potential to cleave the C-F bond, rather than simply capturing and isolating the PFAS. “Capture-based technologies lead to secondary waste streams and disposal challenges. In contrast, H2Plus offers true destruction onsite, eliminating the need for landfill disposal or incineration,” notes Ellis. And unlike systems that rely on thermal energy or ultraviolet light, there are no pre-treatment or optical-clarity requirements.
Source: H2Plus
H2Plus has demonstrated their technology at multiple municipal and industrial sites, treating PFAS-contaminated sources at throughputs as high as 50 gal/min, including landfill leachate with extremely high total dissolved solids — a situation where traditional treatments would likely fail. The next step is to further scale up — the company is currently manufacturing new units capable of handling up to 2,000 gal/min and is seeking both public and private partners for larger-scale deployments across the U.S.