Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – better known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” – are an increasingly hot topic in the water industry, and with good reason. The carbon-fluorine bond that defines this group of chemicals is among the strongest in nature, lending PFAS traits such as resistance to stains, water, and heat. Unfortunately, these traits are what has driven PFAS to become an incredibly popular additive to industrial and consumer goods alike.
However, the flip side of this powerful bond is that PFAS does not break down naturally. Combined with decades of widespread usage, this now means that PFAS can be found in almost every stage of the water cycle, with a recent study from The Royal Society of Chemistry finding that 35% and 37% of water courses in England and Wales contain medium or high-risk levels of PFOA and PFOS respectively - just two of over 14,000 chemicals classed under the PFAS umbrella.
As expected, PFAS have in turn been a key target of environmental legislation in recent years, with many countries aiming to address the presence of PFAS in drinking water. However, these currently vary from nation to nation, and are even surprisingly lax in some cases.
In my native UK, for instance, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) recently introduced guidance which requires water companies to enforce a cumulative limit of 100 nanograms per litre for the sum of 48 named PFAS. However, as the name suggests, this remains strictly “guidance” at present, with a statutory limit not yet in place.
PFAS have been a key target of environmental legislation in recent years, with many countries aiming to address their presence in drinking water
The European Union, by contrast, appears to have taken a harder line, with legally binding limits in place since 2021 via the Drinking Water Directive (DWD). These are 100 nanograms per litre for the sum of 20 PFAS, and 500 nanograms per litre for PFAS as a whole. In the US, legislation is even tighter, with PFAS and PFOS facing limits of 4 nanograms per litre – the lowest level that can be detected.
In any case, legislation only appears to be travelling in one direction, and it is a matter of when, and not if, these stringent standards are implemented in other nations. The aforementioned Royal Society of Chemistry, for instance, has called for the UK government to enforce limits of 10 nanograms per litre for each forever chemical.
Moreover, with PFAS clean-up settlement fees already totalling $16.7 billion in the US alone, and landmark cases emerging in Europe, there is a dual incentive to get ahead of the curve on PFAS management, both from a legislative and business standpoint.
However, it should be noted that current PFAS remediation techniques, such as landfill or incineration, are only moving the problem from one place to another. Worryingly, the hardy nature of PFAS will allow it to travel far from the source and eventually re-enter the water stream, potentially posing a breach of compliance.
Here, true destruction presents a better alternative to remediation alone. While this has previously proven difficult, we at Arvia Technology have developed Florenox™, a range of electrochemical oxidation reactors that can destroy PFAS from concentrates such as leachates, and water containing aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). Using Nyex.3™, a patent-pending advanced inert electrode material, Florenox™ promotes the formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals that are capable of targeting and breaking the carbon-fluorine bond.
As legislation grows tighter, remediation must be partnered with destruction technologies for a fail-safe approach. Enforceable limits for PFAS are already at the lowest possible level in the US, and are expected to follow in Europe. The only way to ensure compliance within such fine margins is total destruction. With millions potentially on the line, it is critical that PFAS legislation is not left to chance.