Insights

Unique SELPAXT method captures long and short-chain PFAS from leachate

Written by Test | Apr 10, 2022 10:00:00 PM

Chromafora’s SELPAXT pilot plant for PFAS removal has been under evaluation for around two years and was tested on the different water flows of a number of customers. The method’s excellent results are consistent for both the long and otherwise hard-to-capture short-chain PFAS, where separation is also around 99%.

PFAS are a family of around 5,000 industrially manufactured persistent chemicals that do not break down completely in the environment. The substances come originally from e.g. firefighting foam, packaging, impregnating agents and skin creams. They have now been detected in drinking water and food, and studies have linked them to endocrine disorders, fertility problems and cancer. While it has been possible to remove long-chain PFAS to a certain extent, there has hitherto been no viable solution for short-chain PFAS.

Leachate from landfills is one of the biggest PFAS pollution pathways. Miljösamverkan Sverige, an environmental conservation body, recently reported that existing water treatment methods at landfill sites are not suitable for removing PFAS from leachate. PFAS are thus spread to surrounding soil and water where they will be a hazard to people and the environment for a long time to come. Thanks to Chromafora’s patent-pending SELPAXT technology, there is now a solution for this environmental problem. The Chromafora method was confirmed to remove more than 99 percent of several endocrine-disrupting PFAS from water back in 2020 in a study for RISE, the Swedish state research institute. The method has now been tested for around two years and the excellent results are consistent.

Chromafora’s solution is aimed specifically at landfill sites and industrial installations that have noted high levels of PFAS with a high proportion of short-chain PFAS. The plug-and-play system is container based and easy to erect on site and connect to an existing water treatment installation.

Chromafora offers a service to landfill and water treatment operators that includes the technology, expertise and operation.

Long-term innovation efforts in a collaboration between Chromafora’s development team, suppliers and customers are behind Chromafora’s  SELPAXT technology.