PFAs, also known as Polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large, complex group of synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds that are a part of everyday products.
They are everywhere, like non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, cleaning agents, cosmetics, and many more. These chemicals can easily migrate in food, water, air, soil, and dust.
How PFA Enters Drinking Water?
PFA can get introduced into drinking water in the following ways:
- Industrial releases into the air, water, or soil
- Discharges from Sewage Treatment plants
- Land application of contaminated sludge
- Leaching from landfills
How Do PFAs Affect Human Health?
A recent study has proved that exposure to PFA can cause life-threatening diseases like cancer, liver damage, and decreased fertility, increasing risks of lung and thyroid diseases.
It has also been associated with increased cholesterol levels in our bodies and affects the functioning of the kidney. PFAs usually accumulate in the lung tissues at the highest concentration.
PFAs are known as “Forever chemicals” as they do not break down in the environment very easily. In human bodies, certain PFAs leave through urine over time.
What Are The Ways Of PFAS Water Treatment?
With the advancement in technology, new treatment technologies have been discovered that help reduces PFAs from drinking water.
Here are some of the technology:
- Activated Carbon Treatment: It is the most studied technique for removing PFA. Activated Carbon adsorbs natural organic compounds, taste, odor, and synthetic chemicals.
The adsorption process accumulates chemical substances like PFAs in the interface between the liquid and solid phases. Activated Carbon or GAC effectively removes PFA when the fluid is allowed to flow through it in the filter mode after removing the particulates.
- Ion Exchange Treatment: Ion exchange resins are made of highly porous polymeric materials that are acid, base, and water-insoluble. There are two types of ion exchange resins- anionic and cationic. The anionic ones effectively remove negatively charged particles like PFAs, whereas the cationic resins effectively remove positively charged contaminants.
They are like tiny magnets which hold the contaminated materials passing through the water system. The benefit of using this technology is that there is no need for resin regeneration due to no contaminant waste stream required to treat, handle or dispose of.
- High-pressure membranes: High-pressure membrane systems like nanofiltration and reverse osmosis have been very efficient at removing PFAs from drinking water. The high-pressure membrane technology depends on the membrane permeability.
They effectively remove almost 90% of the different forms of PFAs. This water treatment technology is best for homeowners because the water treatment is less, and the waste stream can be discarded easily without much concern.
Membrane Systems Australia uses different membrane technologies to treat wastewater and drinking water and make it free from contaminants.
Conclusion!
These were some of the best methods of PFAS Water Treatment. Get your drinking water treated with either technology to protect yourself from harmful toxic substances. To know more about the water treatment procedure, visit the site.