Technology
PFAS
PFAS (known as ‘forever chemicals’) are long-lasting, hazardous chemicals which pose a momentous health risk to all living organisms. They are used in a wide range of products, from cookware and food packaging to firefighting foam and have a unique chemical structure, which makes it extremely difficult to isolate and destroy them.
PFAS are found in trace amounts in water and soil in many locales due to widespread use and environmental persistence. There is typically a higher concentration near industrial sites, airports, and landfills. Traditional PFAS disposal methods are costly, energy-intensive and often generate secondary pollutants, prompting the need for innovative solutions.
Scale of Contamination
PFAS are found in trace amounts in water and soil globally due to widespread use and environmental persistence
There is typically a higher concentration near industrial sites, airports, and landfills
79,000 +
presumed PFAS-contaminated sites in the US alone
An Emerging Global Problem
Market Drivers
Public pressure is driving regulatory action
Tougher regulation of PFAS will stimulate spending by forcing potentially exposed parties to address liability risks
ECT has a novel technology, able to destroy PFAS without secondary pollutants, unlike incumbent methods
Global growth of PFAS liability events
- Kluger, Jeffrey. “How the U.S. Military Plans to Tackle Its ‘Forever Chemical’ Problem.” TIME, September 25, 2024.
- Tanahashi, Satsuki, and Taro Ono. “Japan Exception to U.S. Military’s Handling of PFAS Contamination.” The Asahi Shimbun, February 7, 2024
- Parliament of Australia, Chapter 5 – Remediation of PFAS Affected Sites, in Interim Report of the Senate Select Committee on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances)
Existing PFAS Soil Remediation Technologies
Existing technologies for remediating PFAS contaminated soil include:
- Thermal desorption
- Immobilization
- Soil washing
- Advanced oxidation processes
- Bioremediation
- and others
However, several challenges existing when trying to process PFAS:
- Slow remediation speeds
- Co-contamination
- High consumption of chemicals burdens economics
- Waste water generation leading to secondary pollution
The challenges and critical need for a reliable and efficient technology to process PFAS places ECT in a strong position through the acquisition of Terrajoule and the Flash Joule Heating technology to break-down and destroy PFAS.
Professor James Tour and Rice University have developed an innovative solution to remediate PFAS and heavy metals contaminated soil using its patented Rapid Electrothermal Mineralisation (REM) process, a subset of its FJH technology.
