Carbon-based Filter for PFAS Removal from Groundwater

Carbon-based Filter for PFAS Removal from Groundwater Latest News

A recent field-based study demonstrates that a specially engineered carbon material can be injected underground to trap and remove PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) from contaminated groundwater, offering a cost-effective, long-term remediation solution for polluted sites.

What are Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)?

• Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a large family of over 4,700 synthetic chemicals, widely known as “Forever Chemicals” due to their extreme environmental persistence.
• PFAS have been mass-produced since the 1950s and are extensively used in non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothing, food packaging, cosmetics, firefighting foams, metal coatings, and industrial lubricants.
• The carbon–fluorine (C–F) bond, one of the strongest covalent bonds in chemistry, makes PFAS highly resistant to degradation, leading to widespread groundwater contamination, especially near military, industrial, and municipal sites.

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What is Carbon-Based PFAS Remediation?

• Carbon-based PFAS remediation is a novel in-situ groundwater treatment approach demonstrated in a 2025 field study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.
• The study evaluated a specially engineered ultra-fine carbon material, known as Colloidal Carbon Product (CCP), designed to adsorb and immobilise PFAS in groundwater.
• The technology uses a “push–pull” testing method, where CCP is injected underground to form an in-situ permeable treatment zone, and groundwater is later extracted to measure PFAS reduction.
• Unlike surface treatment methods, this approach is non-invasive, subsurface-based, and suitable for long-term remediation.
• Field trials at a S. Navy training site showed PFAS levels dropped by up to four orders of magnitude, from over 50,000 ng/L to below detection limits within 10 months, including effective removal of both long-chain and short-chain PFAS.

Source: PHY