PFAS treatment solutions for water application

How De Nora Provides PFAS Treatment

De Nora’s SORB contaminant removal systems offer solutions to environmental, regulatory and public health water challenges regarding PFAS remediation.

With 25+ years of demonstrated effectiveness treating more than 250 million gallons of water per day, our SORB systems treat PFAS, Arsenic, Iron & Manganese, Nitrate, Fluoride, VOCs and other organic contaminants using Ion Exchange, GAC or both.

By maximizing uptime, cost efficiency and ease of operation, SORB technology meets regulatory requirements while reducing costs.

De Nora offers tailored processes and equipment based on unique needs. Our piloting capabilities determine the optimal technology based on your water quality matrix. To learn more about our SORB technology for PFAS treatment, request a quote.

SORB FX System Design Features/Benefits

SORB FX PFAS removal system

• Pre-engineered systems with diameters of 5’ (1.5m) to 14’ (4m) and flow rates of 100 gpm (23 m3/h) to 2800 gpm (636 m3/h) per vessel
• Configurable for lead/lag, parallel or series flow operation for unlimited flow rates
• Patent Pending inlet and SORB OTTO underdrain diffusers allow for optimal balanced flow-thru media • Fully serviceable externally, limiting the need for space permits and added personnel

Piloting Capabilities

PFAS product pilot 1

Piloting your specific water can help answer many of the questions that arise when designing a PFAS treatment system. For example, confirming the run length of your media will clarify the rate of future media change-outs and hence your total cost of ownership. Piloting will also potentially identify whether there are competing contaminants in the water, or trace iron and manganese which may require additional treatment to protect the media from plugging or early exhaustion. Pilots available include:

• Dual small-scale column pilots for testing/comparing the PFAS remediation efficacy of two medias such as two IX, two GAC or one of each.
• Quad small-scale column pilots for testing or comparing even more options and/or combinations
• Containerized pilot for treating up to 35 gpm in lead-lag configuration or up 70 gpm in parallel operation

What Are PFAS?

PFAS product pilot 2

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals invented in the 1940s to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water. PFAS do not degrade naturally due to their highly resilient carbon-fluorine bond (the reason they are called “forever chemicals”). Used for decades in the production of thousands of consumer products as well as fire-fighting foam, PFAS have been discovered in humans, animals and sources of water in every corner of the planet.

PFAS are toxic to humans, so the world is now turning to municipal water utilities and engineers to deploy effective and affordable PFAS remediation solutions.

PFAS Regulations for Water Providers

In April 2024, the U.S. EPA released a new National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) establishing legally enforceable levels for six PFAS. If initial monitoring (required by 2027) detects that any of these PFAS exceed Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), public water systems have five years (by 2029) to implement viable PFAS treatment solutions.

As an additional regulatory push for PFAS remediation in the water system, the EPA designated two PFAS – PFOA and PFOS – as “hazardous substances” under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund), which specifically targets companies that release additional PFAS in wastewater.

The ubiquity of PFAS in soil, surface water and groundwater creates acute PFAS removal challenges for water utilities striving to provide clean drinking water to consumers.