Name
Scalable UV destruction of PFAS in foam-fractionated Minnesota groundwater
Authors
Kari Finkler, Joseph Tirado, Elizabeth McCumber, James McKone and Zekun Liu, Claros Technologies, USA
Description

Introduction and Objective: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) represent a significant challenge to water quality due to their chemical resilience. Filtration-based techniques are not a viable final solution as they primarily transfer PFAS to secondary waste streams. This study evaluates a proprietary UV-based technology designed for the complete mineralization of long, short, and ultra-short chain PFAS compounds. The objective was to demonstrate and critically compare destruction performance across reactor systems from laboratory to commercial scale. Methods: Claros performed PFAS destruction in wastewater collected from a groundwater remediation site and treated with foam fractionation to pre-concentrate the PFAS species. PFAS destruction was carried out in a liter-scale laboratory tubular reactor and a commercial-scale reactor running with 30 gallons of gravity-filtered wastewater. PFAS content was monitored via LC-MS analysis. Results: Final destruction of PFOS and PFOA reached 99.99% after 4 hours of continuous treatment, with total defluorination approaching 90%. The total electrical energy required was estimated as 0.6 kWh/gal, which is dramatically lower than the fuel energy required for thermal treatments. Significance: This study validates a scalable, energy-efficient pathway to integrate PFAS capture with chemical destruction. These results support practical implementation of proprietary UV-based destruction, offering a permanent end-of-life solution.

Track
Technology Showcase