How Industry Is Using Technology to Treat PFAS for Cleaner Legacies

Where would modern life be without the innovations of industry? As the engine of economic growth and technology, we rely on industry for everything from food packaging to artificial intelligence.  

Behind industrial processes is a critical partnership with water for cooling, cleaning, processing and transport. That connection makes industry a crucial player in safeguarding this vital resource.  

But this partnership comes with responsibility, especially as new challenges emerge. According to a report by the Waterkeeper Alliance, 98% of waterways tested across 19 U.S. states contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals. Industrial activity is a key upstream source of PFAS contamination entering groundwater, surface water, stormwater and wastewater, placing industry in a defining position. 

Industrial companies that step up now, to identify, quantify and remediate PFAS discharge early, will help shape the standards others will follow.  

At inception, PFAS were a technological breakthrough, giving us improved firefighting ability and new, cutting-edge products in the home and elsewhere. Now, newer technology must step in to remediate the environmental contamination that has occurred as a result of their use.  

PFAS compounds are complex; even in water that has similar PFAS profiles and co-contaminants, the organic load might be very different. Short-chain and precursor PFAS add further complexity, as these are largely not detectable using current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) methods. 

This was the situation recently facing a large chemicals company, which had a high waste stream flow containing both short- and long-chain PFAS. The water also contained salts, metals, and other organics, some in high concentrations, creating a difficult matrix to treat. Furthermore, the effluent treatment objectives were very low. 

Onterris identified and quantified the key contaminants and devised a remediation plan that led to the design and assembly of one of the largest PFAS treatment systems ever built globally. 

We often take a crawl, walk, run approach. First, our lab and forensic teams analyze industrial wastewater to detect both legacy PFAS and emerging compounds like GenX, down to the lowest detection levels, as well as co-contaminants.  

Simultaneously, we’re testing the treatment technology at the bench-level. We’ll then move to a pilot scale on the premises to evaluate performance of the treatment technology under field conditions. This can be short in duration or in place for several months to understand seasonal variation and process fluctuations. We are continually refining and optimizing during this period, too. Then we set up and run the full and final treatment solution on site. 

In this case, Onterris implemented its innovative SORBIX™ RePURE technology, a proprietary ion exchange technology with regenerable resin. This solution produces significantly less waste, uses far fewer filtration media, has a smaller footprint, requires less energy and is arguably safer for workers.   

For PFAS removal, the treatment passes impacted water through ion exchange media particularly selective to the PFAS molecules, thus removing them from the water. Onterris further developed the technology, enabling the regeneration and reuse of the ion exchange beads through distillation and SuperLoadingTM. Crucially, the technology tackles both long- and short-chain PFAS. 

It’s an example where Onterris worked with the client to understand their exact need and leveraged the right technology to solve the challenge.

The system has since been installed at three of the client’s facilities. The client has achieved its aggressive PFAS reduction goals ahead of schedule with our technology and is well-positioned to meet even more ambitious reduction goals in the future. 

Part of the remediation process involves being able to prove to regulators that the technology has worked. Our team took one of our newer methods and modified it, then validated it to test for these ultra-short chains. The client could then demonstrate that they were effectively removing these ultra-short-chain PFAS that were a concern both to the discharger and to the regulator.

Regulation is an ever-shifting landscape, and the EPA is increasingly looking to identify and regulate upstream sources of PFAS entering municipal treatment plants, such as groundwater, surface water, stormwater and wastewater, all areas where targeted monitoring and remediation can make a measurable difference. This regulatory pressure affects different industries in unique ways, requiring tailored solutions. 

Tackling legacy PFAS contamination is not the only challenge. The fast-growing semiconductor industry is currently powering the leaps in artificial intelligence, but to date, its manufacture still requires the use of PFAS. 

We’re exploring these specific industries that rely on PFAS as part of their manufacturing process to understand current treatment objectives as well as future environmental needs. Our service needs to be pro-environment but also supportive of economics; we need to be ‘pro-solution’, so it works for industry and the environment.

Industry has a pivotal choice to make. Continue reacting to regulatory pressure and public scrutiny, or take control of the narrative by leading on PFAS treatment and transparency. As the Onterris approach shows, the tools exist to do more than comply. They allow industrial companies to innovate, reduce liability and shape what environmental responsibility looks like for the decade ahead. 

Practical steps include:

• Identify PFAS sources across operations, including indirect and upstream pathways
• Pilot treatment systems under real operating conditions before scaling
• Align monitoring methods with emerging regulatory thresholds, including short-chain PFAS

Companies that respond decisively will help set the future direction of the sector while balancing innovation with accountability.