Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are of increasing concern due to their widespread occurrence in the environment and their toxicity to humans and ecosystems, even at very low concentrations (parts-per-trillion levels). Because of the multiple carbon–fluorine bonds in their structures, PFAS are highly resistant to transformation and degradation. Available technologies that can destroy PFAS require extreme conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, and alkaline pH, and requires several hours of contact time for near-complete destruction. Such processes result in high energy consumption and high treatment costs. Additionally, many of these processes do not completely destroy PFAS and results in the generation of partially transformed byproducts of PFAS and the generation of short-chain/ultra-short-chain PFAS.
The technology proposed here addresses and overcomes these important challenges by providing a chemically-mediated complete destruction of PFAS at ambient conditions (i.e., room temperature, atmospheric pressure, and near-neutral pH) within minutes. The chemical reaction is mediated by the presence of sodium metal complexed with naphthalene, that serves as a strong reducing agent that defluorinates all types of PFAS. Laboratory testing revealed that the chemical reaction has the potential to destroy aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) formulations, providing an opportunity to destroy residual AFFF wastes in fire suppression systems.
This project presents a highly innovative approach for the destruction of PFAS that has not been previously demonstrated. The proposed technology can be readily scaled up, as the chemical reactant is commercially available and the process design is straightforward. PFAS concentrates can be efficiently extracted from relevant waste streams using common solvents and subsequently treated with the sodium-metal reactant under ambient conditions. Given the rapidly expanding PFAS management market and the urgent need for effective destruction methods, this technology offers a significant competitive and environmental advantage. The awarded $100,000 TITA-Advanced Seed Grant will support advancing the technology from TRL 5/6 to a pilot- and demonstration-ready stage, paving the way for future commercialization.