Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large and complex suite of anthropogenic compounds that have recently become the focus of the regulatory community, due in large part to their perceived risks to human health and the environment. Their ubiquitous presence, coupled with their complex physical and chemical properties, have led to significant challenges in their subsequent remediation and removal from the environment, including from surface and groundwaters. Both the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the American Water Works Association have identified three readily available technologies for PFAS removal in water: 1) Granular Activated Carbon (GAC); 2) Ion Exchange Resin (IX); and 3) High Pressure Membranes (Membrane). Care must be taken in selecting the appropriate PFAS removal technology and should include a thorough understanding of the background water chemistry, treatment objectives, and short- and long-term financial considerations.
This presentation will include:
- a look into physical and chemical properties of PFAS;
- a review of the current applied technologies and their respective efficacies and applications;
- focused discussions on the application of IX technologies;
- a brief IX application case study;
- lifecycle cost evaluations/comparisons for GAC, IX, and Membrane technologies for several example applications.
The aim of this presentation is to provide those in attendance with an overview of PFAS treatment options, the pros and cons of each, and the process for selecting the optimum PFAS removal technology for a given application.
Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies, Inc. (“ECT2”), a Montrose Environmental Group company, is a leading provider of novel technologies for removing contaminants from water, using traditional ion exchange, GAC and reverse osmosis methodologies, as well as a proprietary, cost-effective ion exchange resin system with on-site regeneration. With successful applications deployed around the world for contaminants including 1,4-dioxane and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (“PFAS”) in water, ECT2’s systems have achieved industry-leading uptime and deliver contaminant removal well below specified limits. Due to this advanced technology, ECT2 has been a recognized PFAS treatment leader since 2017.