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Views: 3024 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2026-03-31 Origin: Site
Per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), synthetic chemicals known as "forever chemicals", have become a central issue in the global water industry due to their extreme environmental persistence and health risks. A comprehensive battle against PFAS has begun, with stricter drinking water standards and upgraded water treatment technologies.
PFAS (per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of synthetic organofluorine compounds widely used in textiles, non‑stick cookware, fire‑fighting foams, food packaging and many other fields for their waterproof, oil‑proof and high‑temperature resistant properties. They are called "forever chemicals" due to their persistence, bioaccumulation and potential toxicity. Their stable molecular structure gives them the "forever" trait — the root cause of serious concern.
The carbon‑fluorine bond in PFAS is one of the strongest chemical bonds in nature, extremely stable and nearly non‑degradable in the natural environment. They can persist in soil and water for hundreds of years or longer. Once released into the environment, they remain and accumulate risks indefinitely.
Globally distributed and ubiquitous
PFAS are now found worldwide — in rivers, lakes, soil, air and living organisms, including human blood samples. It is no longer a regional problem but a global environmental challenge crossing national borders.
Bioaccumulative and food‑chain transferable
PFAS are highly bioaccumulative, building up in the liver, blood and other organs of animals, plants and humans, and transferring up the food chain. Humans at the top of the food chain face long‑term exposure risks including impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and elevated cancer risks.
PFAS are widely used for their waterproof, oil‑proof and heat‑resistant traits:
Waterproof & stain‑resistant treatment: Outdoor clothing, carpets, furniture fabrics.
Non‑stick coatings: Non‑stick pans (Teflon coating).
Fire‑fighting foams: Fire suppressants at airports and military bases.
Food packaging: Inner coatings of pizza boxes, popcorn bags and paper cups.
PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid): Once used in Teflon production, being phased out.
PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate): Once used in fire foams and stain repellents, strictly restricted.
GenX: Developed as a PFOA alternative, but also environmentally controversial.
Facing the severe threat of PFAS, major economies entered a new phase of PFAS regulation in 2025–2026, shifting from advisory standards to legal enforcement, and from single‑substance control to sum limits.
Global regulation of PFAS in drinking water reached a new stage of full tightening and mandatory enforcement in 2025–2026. Countries are no longer satisfied with guideline values, but issuing legally binding national standards with lower and lower limits. As of March 2026, updates to drinking water standards in major global economies:
The EU enacted the revised Drinking Water Directive on January 12, 2026, launching systematic EU‑wide monitoring for the first time.
Core limits:
Sum of 20 specified PFAS: ≤ 100 ng/L (0.1 μg/L)
Total PFAS concentration: ≤ 500 ng/L (0.5 μg/L)
Requirements: Member states may monitor one or both indicators. If exceeded, immediate actions such as shutting wells, adding treatment steps and public notification are mandatory.
The US released its first national drinking water standard in 2024, with policy adjustments in 2025; currently in transition.
Retained standard: Limits for PFOA and PFOS remain at 4 ng/L (4 ppt), among the world’s strictest single‑substance standards.
Policy adjustment: In May 2025, EPA announced revoking mandatory limits for PFNA, PFHxS, GenX and others, to re‑evaluate regulatory frameworks.
Compliance extension: Deadline for water systems extended from 2029 to 2031, providing more buffer time for water utilities.
China intensified PFAS drinking water management in 2024–2025, adopting a dual‑track system of mandatory standards + management guidelines.
Mandatory standard (revised November 2024):
PFOA + PFOS: ≤ 50 ng/L
PFOS + PFHxS: ≤ 70 ng/L
Management guideline (added 2025):
Sum of 20 PFAS: ≤ 100 ng/L (referencing EU standards)
Implementation timeline: Mandatory standard takes effect July 1, 2027; enhanced voluntary testing underway.
Japan: Upgraded PFOS/PFOA drinking water limit to 50 ng/L, from guideline to legal standard.
Norway: Effective January 1, 2026, sum limit of 4 PFAS (PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS, PFOS) in drinking water: 4 ng/L, extremely strict.
Countries are upgrading PFAS from health guidelines to legally mandatory standards.
From "single substance" to "sum control": Regulation shifts from targeting a few substances (PFOA/PFOS) to limiting 20 or all PFAS to prevent substitution loopholes.
Technical challenge: Ultra‑low limits of 4 ng/L (ppt level) impose extremely high requirements on detection and treatment technologies — a key reason for the US compliance extension.
The PFAS challenge drives continuous evolution in water treatment. The global PFAS treatment market is shifting from traditional "adsorption and transfer" to "complete destruction". The global market was about $2.08 billion in 2024, projected to reach $3.86 billion by 2033, with a CAGR of 7.2%, showing strong potential.
Note: Data from Grand View Research (GVR), Global PFAS Treatment Market Report.
Technology evolution: Moving from adsorption (e.g., activated carbon) to full destruction (e.g., electrochemistry, pyrolysis) to solve secondary waste from spent adsorbents. Commercial PFAS projects are concentrated in the US and Europe.
Stanton Water Treatment Plant, Delaware, US: Built by Veolia, one of North America’s largest PFAS facilities. Costing $35 million, daily capacity 30 million gallons, serving over 100,000 residents. Uses granular activated carbon (GAC) to meet EPA strict standards.
US municipal plant retrofits: Driven by EPA rules, thousands of US water plants face upgrades. GAC and reverse osmosis (RO) are the most widely used commercial solutions.
Axine Water Technologies (Canada): Specializes in electrochemical oxidation. Its electraCLEAR system claims >99.9% removal for short‑chain PFAS, partnered with Dutch engineering firms.
Aquagga (US): Uses hydrothermal alkaline treatment (HALT), offers containerized modular units, claims >99.99% destruction of diverse PFAS, suitable for high‑strength industrial wastewater and sludge.
Claros Technologies (US): Uses UV photochemistry, deployed commercially at hundreds of gallons per minute in a pilot with Daikin America in Alabama.
A landmark commercial PFAS project in France, led by major water utility SAUR, using a customized powdered activated carbon (PAC) dosing system to remove micropollutants including PFAS, pesticides and algae.
Technology: PAC + fluidized bed reactor (CARBOplus). Provided by SODIMATE, including carbon storage, high‑precision metering and dosing.
Target: Removes TOC, pesticides, algae, PFAS and other micropollutants to meet strict local standards.
As an early commercial French PFAS project, it validates activated carbon adsorption for "forever chemicals" and provides a reference for other plant retrofits.
Technology selection depends on PFAS type, concentration and physicochemical properties.
Principle: Adsorbs PFAS using large surface area. Highly effective for long‑chain PFAS (PFOA, PFOS), less effective for short‑chain PFAS.
Application: Municipal drinking water plants, industrial wastewater pretreatment — the most widely commercialized technology.
Challenge: Saturated carbon requires replacement, generating large amounts of PFAS‑laden waste carbon with high disposal costs.
Steric hindrance and chemical interactions
Principle: Retains PFAS molecules using a semipermeable membrane.
Application: Effectively removes most PFAS, producing high‑quality effluent.
Challenge: High energy consumption; generates large volumes of high‑concentration concentrate (typically 15–25% of influent), whose treatment is the major difficulty.
Principle: Selective ion exchange between functional groups on resins and PFAS molecules.
Application: Better short‑chain PFAS removal than activated carbon, often used in high‑purity water or as a GAS supplement.
Challenge: Higher resin cost; regeneration produces high‑concentration PFAS waste liquid.
Boiling, UV and ordinary ceramic filters are completely ineffective!
Boiling: PFAS has an extremely high boiling point; boiling concentrates PFAS as water evaporates.
UV: Kills bacteria but cannot break PFAS chemical bonds.
Ordinary ceramic filters: PFAS is dissolved; not trapped by physical sedimentation or common pores.
The most effective and thorough household solution, recommended by the US EPA and other authorities.
Principle: Physical sieving via an ultra‑small semipermeable membrane (~0.0001 μm), effectively retaining PFAS molecules.
Efficiency: 90–99% removal for common PFAS (PFOA, PFOS).
Note: Replace pre‑activated carbon and RO membrane regularly to avoid breakthrough.
Activated carbon adsorbs PFAS well, depending on carbon type and contact time.
Principle: Adsorbs organic compounds including PFAS via large surface area.
Efficiency: Good for long‑chain PFAS (PFOS), moderate for short‑chain PFAS.
Granular activated carbon (GAC) pitchers / tap filters: Budget choice for low‑contamination areas; strictly replace cartridges on time.
CTO block carbon: Usually used as an RO pre‑filter; not recommended standalone for PFAS protection.
The global tightening of PFAS regulations is not only environmental protection but also a technological reshuffle of the water treatment industry. Efficient, low‑cost, low‑energy PFAS treatment will become core competitiveness for municipal plants and household purifiers.
For water treatment enterprises: Track global regulatory trends, deploy R&D early to meet regional standards, and launch scenario‑specific solutions. The Amanda & Umicom team has established a dedicated R&D group for the PFAS removal market, developing activated carbon filters for PFAS and conducting product testing.
From lab R&D to commercial deployment, sustained innovation is key to leading the PFAS battle. The "forever" nature of PFAS will eventually be overcome by technology. With improved regulation and evolving technology, victory in the global fight against "forever chemicals" is in sight.
