EPOC Enviro SAFF PFAS remediation technology

EPOC Enviro (a subsidiary of Australian company OPEC Systems) has announced that its Surface Active Foam Fractionation (SAFF) PFAS remediation technology is able to remove almost all short-chain PFAS compounds from contaminated water, as well as long-chain PFAS compounds.

The solution uses air bubbles to remove PFAS down to C4, providing a sustainable PFAS remediation without the use of adsorbents, which require ongoing replacement and additional waste management.

Up until recently, the primary focus for remediators has been to remove long-chain PFAS compounds, but as the global regulatory environment has become more stringent with concerns around their long-term toxicity and mobility, there has been an expanded focus on also removing short-chain PFAS contaminants.

SAFF represents a sustainably engineered approach to PFAS remediation, where a combination of aeration and vacuum is used to rapidly ‘foam out’ >99 per cent of target long-chain PFAS molecules and now a significant majority of short-chain PFAS, enabling treated water to be safely returned to the environment.

The solution is designed to exploit the natural properties of PFAS compounds to preferentially bind to the air/water interface of a swarm of rising air bubbles. Once on the surface, the compounds are harvested as a waste froth/foam for permanent destruction using readily available partner technologies.

Short-chain PFAS removal is achieved by a combination of enhancements to the SAFF including manipulation of a PFAS compound’s position on the adsorptive isotherm, vessel geometry and sequencing adjustments, and, where required, the addition of specific amendments.