Electrochemical Destruction of 'Forever Chemicals': The Right Solution at the Right Time

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are manmade compounds used in a variety of industrial applications, and their consumption by humans can lead to many adverse health effects. Due to their high stability, destroying PFAS once they have contaminated water streams has become a major challenge. One promising remediation method is electrochemical oxidation (EO). To perform EO, electrode materials that can withstand high current and voltage conditions are required. Boron-doped diamond (BDD) is one such material, and its viability has been demonstrated for the EO of PFAS in a custom water treatment system applied and optimized to high-strength waste streams laden with PFAS. The permanent and disruptive nature of the technology lends itself to applicability in complex media such as IX regenerates, RO rejects, aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), industrial wastewaters, and landfill leachates, among others.