GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As PFAS chemicals do not break down, they are sometimes found in the ground and water supplies are often referred to as "forever chemicals."
A new government study released on July 5 revealed that nearly half of all U.S. faucets contain the PFAS.
But forever may not be as long now, with the introduction of a new technology aimed at destroying the chemicals.
"This is really a story of American innovation in action," Revive Environmental President and CEO David Trueba said.
According to the company, the PFAS Annihilator, created by Battelle and Revive Environmental, can break down virtually all PFAS in contaminated fluids and destroy it to the point it's non-detectable. Included in this will be some of the roughly 200,000 gallons of contaminated fluids that Brian Recatto, president and CEO of Heritage-Crystal Clean that owns a wastewater treatment facility in Grand Rapids, says the facility is gearing up to process each day.
"All of us are very successful, because we each have a role to play and managing these large volumes of contaminated wastewater and other PFAS-related waste streams," Recatto said. "So, we're really appreciative of all of our partners."
The technology, Trueba said, is able to complete its mission through the use of high temperatures and pressure that transition the contaminated fluids into a state between being liquid and being gas.
"Because of the heat and energy, it breaks down the carbon-fluorine bond," Trueba said. "PFAS as a chemical is forever because of that strong bond. [The Annihilator] breaks it down very, very quickly and in a controlled environment."
Co-chairing the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, Sandy Wynn-Stelt was driven to become an environmental activist after discovering her water was contaminated.
"When I realized kind of the extent of it, both locally and statewide and nationally, it's kind of just been something that I ended up becoming very passionate about," Wynn-Stelt said.
She said the PFAS Annihilator gives her hope, but after what she's seen, that optimism comes with caution.
"If this is a situation that works, I will be overjoyed," Wynn-Stelt said. "I think there's also though the flip side is a little bit of concern and skepticism."
Recatto said, however, he's confident that, after months of testing and regulatory scrutiny, their solution is ready to work.
"It's a proven technology," Recatto said. "We've proven it with with analysis, we proven it with high volume locations and high volumes of water rolling into our facility in Grand Rapids."
"I'm hopeful that we find a solution and I think we will," Wynn-Stelt said. "I can't tell you how many different companies contact me periodically to let me know the latest greatest thing that they've come up with to destroy this."
"And I'm hopeful for every one of them," Wynn-Stelt said. "I want every one of them or any one of them to work. I'm not a scientist. I shouldn't have to be a scientist to drink my own water."
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