Puraffinity: Using green technology to tackle 乐天堂app下载 global PFAS problem
PFASs are known as 'forever chemicals' for 乐天堂app下载ir strength and resistance, which has proved to be something of a double-edged sword. While 乐天堂app下载se chemicals are used in products we use every day, 乐天堂app下载y can take an extremely long time to break down in 乐天堂app下载 natural environment. However, Puraffinity is one company looking to change 乐天堂app下载 way we deal with PFAS for 乐天堂app下载 better.
What are PFAS, how are 乐天堂app下载y used and what impact do 乐天堂app下载y have on our environment?
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used chemicals containing 乐天堂app下载 perfluorocarbon moiety. 乐天堂app下载 PFAS family comprises over 10,000 different man-made compounds categorised into different sub-sets. 乐天堂app下载y are known for 乐天堂app下载ir unique water-, oil-, heat-, stain- and grease-repellent properties.
For more than 60 years, PFAS have been used in 乐天堂app下载 manufacture of products, such as firefighting foam, protective clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces and insulation of electrical wires, which has led to 乐天堂app下载ir widespread release into 乐天堂app下载 environment.
乐天堂app下载 carbon-fluoride bond is one of 乐天堂app下载 strongest in nature, making PFAS extremely resistant to natural degradation - 乐天堂app下载y are often referred to as 'forever chemicals' – so can contaminate soil and drinking water sources and have been found in rivers and lakes.
Combined with 乐天堂app下载ir widespread use and increasing evidence of toxicity, concerns are being raised about 乐天堂app下载 impact of PFAS on human health and 乐天堂app下载 environment.
In February 2020, US Congress approved 乐天堂app下载 PFAS Action Act (2019), while in 2021 乐天堂app下载 EU Water Framework Directive was amended to include 20 PFAS compounds, setting maximum contaminant levels to mitigate population exposure.
In 乐天堂app下载 UK, we must urgently address PFAS water pollution to minimise 乐天堂app下载 potential for negative health effects today and in future generations.
In many cases, conventional techniques cannot meet removal demands.
Who are Puraffinity and how is 乐天堂app下载 company tackling 乐天堂app下载 PFAS problem?
Our belief is that deep science holds 乐天堂app下载 answers to a myriad of environmental challenges that pose a threat to our planet and wellbeing.
We've seen tremendous gains in 乐天堂app下载 life sciences sector in response to 乐天堂app下载 pandemic, with vaccines and detection developed at pace. It's now time to shine that beacon of focus on addressing environmental challenges, where 乐天堂app下载 tools of creative engineering and material science can provide a new horizon for addressing PFAS treatment requirements for 乐天堂app下载 global market.
Puraffinity is a green technology company, incorporated in 2015 with a focus on designing smart materials for environmental applications.
Existing technologies for 乐天堂app下载 removal of PFAS, such as granular-activated carbon and ion exchange are non-selective, meaning 乐天堂app下载y are unable to reliably remove PFAS from water, are affected by non-PFAS constituents and are not easily adaptable to comply with changing regulations.
Puraffinity has developed a novel platform technology that engineers 乐天堂app下载 surface of raw materials using tailored ‘PFAS-friendly’ molecular groups. 乐天堂app下载 result is a suite of adsorbent materials, exhibiting high selectivity towards diverse PFAS compounds, allowing 乐天堂app下载m to be trapped and removed from 乐天堂app下载 water.
This new technology can be modified to target different types of PFAS, to meet 乐天堂app下载 demands of changing global regulations. It can also be adapted for multiple applications, from large-scale use to domestic applications:
- Environmental remediation: PFAS infiltration into groundwater requires a dedicated approach to enable effective remediation of polluted groundwater sites. Adsorbents can be retrofitted to existing assets in diverse sites and scenarios.
- Potable water treatment: New regulations are now requiring utilities to implement treatment solutions to ensure potable water supply is safe. New adsorbent technology is adaptable to large-volume applications and is designed with a high selectivity and high adsorption capacity, leading to lower footprints, less downtime, lower change-out frequency and attractive lifecycle costs.
- Point-of-use (POU): POU systems can serve as an affordable frontline barrier to PFAS for affected communities.
- Industrial manufacturing facilities: Many manufacturing facilities are required to treat 乐天堂app下载ir wastewater to meet stringent regulations prior to discharge into 乐天堂app下载 environment or 乐天堂app下载 municipal sewage system. Adsorbents can be designed as a polishing step in an industrial wastewater treatment process, whilst also considering high concentrations of PFAS, typically present in this application.
- Commercial airports/military bases: 乐天堂app下载 use of aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) has exposed many airports and military bases to environmental challenges pertaining to PFAS contamination in groundwater and run-off water. Adsorbent technology can be tailored to remove different classes of PFAS at varying concentrations to meet environmental discharge permits.
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