Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic fluorinated compounds that are highly persistent, mobile, and toxic to human beings and our aquatic ecosystems. PFAS include over 4700 different compounds that are used in a variety of consumer products such as waterproof clothing, cosmetics, personal care products, Teflon-coated products, firefighting foams etc. Two of the most used forms of PFAS that are widely detected in environmental samples such as soil, water, and air include the long chain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). However, thousands of medium-chains and short-chain PFAS are in use today. Many of these smaller PFAS compounds are highly mobile and cannot be removed by conventional treatments and hence, pose a great risk to humans and our aquatic ecosystems.
In this case study we worked with a Swiss chemical site to treat contaminated groundwater. The goal of this study was to remove both long-chain and short-chain PFAS compounds from the contaminated groundwater to help them reach permissible limits in a cost-effective and scalable approach.
Our solution
Oxyle has developed a game-changing wastewater treatment technology for enhanced degradation of a wide variety of highly persistent, mobile, and toxic organic pollutants such as pesticides, PFAS, pharmaceuticals, hormones, industrial chemicals, textile pigments and dyes etc. Our modular plug-and-play reactors are integrated with Oxyle’s novel catalyst and provide decentralized treatments for industrial and municipal effluents, and remediation projects for treatment of contaminated water (groundwater or from soil washing).
Oxyle’s unique oxidation technology relies on the activation of our nanoporous catalyst using highly scalable and cost-effective energy sources such as bubbling, vibrations, flow, stress etc. Upon activation, our catalyst produces large doses of highly reactive and oxidative radicals. This process leads to the degradation and mineralization of organic pollutants, leaving behind safe to discharge water. In addition, our inline sensors and proprietary control mechanisms provide continuous feedback, allowing us to remotely operate and optimize our treatment process to ensure our customers continuously benefit from the highest standards of discharge limits.
Our advantages
– Modular plug-and-play reactors in various sizes that are remotely operated for ease of use
– Treatment reactors that are easy to customize and integrate to suit our customer needs
– Efficient nanocatalyst activated by clean & scalable energy sources at cost-effective rates
– Self-cleaning catalyst endowed with a long cleaning lifespan.
– Fully recyclable catalyst after long-term wear & tear ensures minimal sustainability impact over the entire life cycle of the material.
– Complete and non-selective removal of all PFAS (long-chain to small-chain)
– Real-time monitoring and control of water treatment to guarantee high quality effluents
– Facile combination with up-concentrated techniques for PFAS removal (e.g., nanofiltration) to achieve high throughput at minimal energy consumption.
– Modular plug-and-play reactors in various sizes that are remotely operated for ease of use
– Treatment reactors that are easy to customize and integrate to suit our customer needs
– Efficient nanocatalyst activated by clean & scalable energy sources at cost-effective rates
– Self-cleaning catalyst endowed with a long cleaning lifespan.
– Fully recyclable catalyst after long-term wear & tear ensures minimal sustainability impact over the entire life cycle of the material.
– Complete and non-selective removal of all PFAS (long-chain to small-chain)
– Real-time monitoring and control of water treatment to guarantee high quality effluents
– Facile combination with up-concentrated techniques for PFAS removal (e.g., nanofiltration) to achieve high throughput at minimal energy consumption.
Results
In this case study, Oxyle’s technology was used to eliminate PFAS from contaminated groundwater of a Swiss chemical site. The treatment process was conducted at room temperature, and bubbling was used as a main source of energy. Our batch systems were used to directly conduct treatment of contaminated groundwater (collected from Pump & Treat systems) without requiring any pre-treatment or pre-conditioning steps.
Table 1 shows the results from the case study, in which we remove long-, medium-, and short-chain PFAS compounds found in our customers’ contaminated groundwater to levels below detection limits (<1 ng/L) using our catalytic technology.
Furthermore, we have conducted several studies to remove PFAS at higher concentrations (mg/L concentrations) and achieved similar outstanding results as well. We can easily handle highly concentrated streams of PFAS by simply adjusting operational parameters (treatment duration, energy input, and catalyst loading) to suit our customers needs.
If you have any further questions related to your PFAS removal needs, please reach out to our team of experts at mail@oxyle.ch. We will get in touch with you shortly and co-create the best way forward that meets your current and future needs.
