As EPA And White House Make Stricter PFAS Rules, BioLargo's Sustainable Treatment Technology Is Up To The Challenge
This week the US EPA announced new public drinking water health advisories for four PFAS compounds, with the White House making a statement to reaffirm its dedication to rid the environment of these harmful “forever chemicals”. In these recent public statements, the EPA and White House both emphasized the dangers of these substances and the need for new technologies that can meet or exceed the treatment levels needed to remove these toxic substances from the nation’s water.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made, persistent, and bio-accumulative chemicals now widely accepted to have links to countless negative health effects including cancer and reproductive problems. The contaminants have been detected in over 60% of public wells in the US, affecting almost 2,900 known sites in all 50 states.
The EPA announced new, extremely low interim Lifetime Health Advisory limits (LHAs) for the two best-studied PFAS compounds, PFOA and PFOS. The EPA also set Final LHAs for PFBS and hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid and its ammonium salt (a.k.a, “GenX chemicals”). Although these four are the first PFAS targeted by the EPA for LHAs, there are over 4,900 recognized PFAS compounds that may eventually be subject to similar limits. The new limits are 0.004 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFOA, 0.02 ppt for PFOS, 10 ppt for GenX, and 2000 ppt for PFBS.
In a fact sheet published on June 15, 2022 by the White House, the Biden-Harris administration reiterated their focus on removing these harmful chemicals from the environment. In that news release, the Administration also announced the release of $1 billion (the first of $5 billion planned) to assist states and communities in finding and installing suitable treatment technologies to remove PFAS. The fact sheet also detailed upcoming proposed rules to regulate PFAS under CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act).
BioLargo Engineering, Science & Technologies is an engineering company that makes sustainable treatment technologies targeted at PFAS. Its President, Randall Moore, commented on the changing regulations, “BioLargo has kept a close eye on the evolving landscape of PFAS regulations. Our treatment systems are uniquely tunable to achieve the necessary removal levels from water, wastewater, and groundwater, helping us meet the guidelines set by governing bodies of each state and the EPA. We also continue to move forward with our research and development efforts in the areas of AAAF destruction and the removal of PFAS from soil.”
The Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator (AEC) is BioLargo's technology that removes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water. The AEC removes more than 99% of PFAS from flowing water and produces less than 1/1000 the PFAS-laden solid waste compared to other common treatment technologies.
Tonya Chandler, Director of Commercialization for BioLargo, stated, “We are eager to show the world what the AEC can do. We have proven its ability to remove multiple PFAS to non-detect levels, a claim verified by University of Tennessee. We expect even better performance in the field as we tailor the product water to the customer’s needs.”