A sustainable end-to-end approach to PFAS management.
PFAS are a large group of persistent synthetic chemicals that are widely used in industrial processes and consumer products. Resistance to degradation has increased pollution of emissions into drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soil, and air. With increased regulation across Europe and globally, utilities and industrial operators face increased compliance, environmental and reputational risks.
To meet this challenge, effective PFAS strategies must go beyond simple removal. A practical and sustainable approach follows three main stages: exploration, capture, and destruction.
Understanding the PFAS challenge
Detection and monitoring of very low concentrations of PFAS remains technically complex. At the same time, laws continue to evolve, and drinking water standards often advance faster than wastewater and air emissions standards. Designing treatment systems to meet only today’s limitations can be harmfully short-sighted. Solutions need to be future-proofed to meet more demanding requirements in the future.
Activated carbon: the best technology available for PFAS removal
Activated carbon is widely recognized as the best available technology (BAT) for removing PFAS in both liquid and gas phase applications. Due to the extremely high internal surface area and porous structure, PFAS molecules are effectively adsorbed from water and air streams.
Advanced surface-modified granular activated carbon was specifically developed by Puragen to improve PFAS capture. By optimizing surface chemistry and pore structure, these carbons deliver higher removal efficiency, longer service life, and improved performance over a wide range of PFAS chain lengths compared to standard GAC grades.
Flexible capture with mobile filters
Mobile activated carbon filtration systems provide a quick and low-risk means of achieving compliance. Designed as a plug-and-play unit, there is no need for on-site carbon treatment and it is supplied on a rental basis, essentially requiring no capital investment. The modular and scalable design makes it ideal for temporary, emergency, or long-term installations across drinking water, wastewater, purification, and industrial air treatment applications.
Closing the loop: Destroying PFAS
True sustainability requires not just capturing PFAS, but permanently destroying them. Puragen’s advanced thermal reactivation process allows used activated carbon to be recycled while completely destroying PFAS molecules in a controlled, multi-step process. This closed-loop approach prevents secondary emissions, reduces waste, and significantly reduces carbon emissions compared to disposal or incineration. Separate facilities are available for “Green List” (drinking water/food) and “Amber List” (industrial/environmental) spent carbon.
Proven and future-proof solutions
Integrated search, capture, and destroy strategies have been successfully applied across drinking water, wastewater, remediation, chemical, pharmaceutical, and other industrial sectors. By combining expert testing, advanced activated carbon, flexible filtration systems, and safe thermal reactivation, organizations can achieve reliable PFAS compliance today while preparing for future regulations.
Please note: This is a commercial profile
This article will be published in the upcoming PFAS Special Focus Publication in April.
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