Frequently Asked Questions

What does Aclarity do?

Our mission: Destroy PFAS Forever. Aclarity offers a revolutionary, low energy electrochemical process that destroys PFAS found in water and liquid waste.

 

What’s different about Aclarity?

In contrast to numerous contemporary technologies, Aclarity effectively destroys PFAS, whereas many commonly employed methods, like Granular Activated Carbon (GAC), merely extract PFAS. Consequently, an additional step for disposal, such as deep well injection or incineration, is often necessary, or in some instances, the extracted PFAS end up being reintroduced into landfills.

 

I need to remove and destroy PFAS in landfill leachate, can Aclarity do that?

Yes! Aclarity can do more than remove PFAS. We destroy PFAS. Often times we can treat raw landfill leachate with nearly zero pretreatment. Aclarity’s electrochemical oxidation (EOx) can also destroy concentrates from reverse osmosis or ion exchange. We also can destroy PFAS from concentration technologies such as fractionated foam. 

 

I have a very concentrated stream with extremely high levels of PFAS, can Aclarity help?

Yes! Highly concentrated PFAS streams are ideal for Aclarity. We can begin with an analysis. Due to the varying nature of leachate and other wastewater streams, results may vary. Aclarity does not advise on PFAS destruction potential until a water analysis is provided and lab scale testing has been completed. Get an initial evaluation here. 

 

What about using Granular Activated Carbon for PFAS removal?

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) can be used to successfully remove PFAS from water, however it does not destroy PFAS. It may require frequent replacement and off-site trucking for disposal of spent media, which can become costly and labor intensive. While it is an effective method to remove PFAS from water and liquid waste, it only “kicks the ball down the road” and does not fully address the problem. GAC is especially not ideal for removing PFAS for more highly concentrated streams as it is rapidly exhausted. 

 

What about foam fractionation? Doesn’t that destroy PFAS?

Foam fractionation does not destroy PFAS. It is a PFAS concentration technology that can concentrate PFAS up to 10,000x. The resulting concentrate needs to be disposed of. It has been argued that handling this level of concentrated PFAS needs to be done in a very careful manner. In situations where foam fractionation is already being used, Aclarity’s technology can destroy PFAS in fractionated foam. 

 

What’s wrong with removing PFAS and then disposing of it?

Current PFAS disposal methods do not fully remove PFAS from our environment. PFAS destruction technologies, such as Aclarity’s EOx break the PFAS cycle and destroy PFAS for good. Additionally, in September 2022, the USEPA proposed designating some PFAS compounds as hazardous waste under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund. Under this designation, the liability of disposing of PFAS could remain with the entity that removed it. Destruction on-site using the Aclarity technology could eliminate this liability.

 

What level of treatment is needed before Aclarity’s system? Are TSS or COD an issue?

We recommend screening down to 100 microns, only to protect pumps and valves. TSS and COD do not affect the system’s ability to destroy PFAS.

 

In drinking water treatment with low concentrations of PFAS, how does the Aclarity technology work?

While the Aclarity technology can destroy low concentrations of PFAS, we have found it is more cost effective to first concentrate the PFAS into a side stream using foam fractionation, regenerable ion exchange, or reverse osmosis. The Aclarity systems can then be used to destroy the PFAS in the concentrated side stream. 

 

What level of PFAS concentration is ideal for Aclarity’s technology?

Our systems can treat PFAS concentrations from the low nanogram per liter (parts per trillion) range up to the milligram per liter range (parts per million). However, our systems are most cost effective on high concentration, low volume streams. If you let us know what the concentrations and volumes are, we can quickly give a rough estimate of system costs. 

 

Does high salinity/TDS matter?

No, higher salinity means higher conductivity in the water, which is beneficial for our process.

 

Do metals in the water affect the process?

No, metals do not impact the treatment of PFAS. Some metals, most commonly, calcium and magnesium, can deposit on the electrodes, which can require periodic cleaning with dilute acids.

 

Does the amount of organics in the water affect the process?

No, as part of our process, we create many strong oxidants that destroy many organic compounds in the water. If your target contaminants are PFAS, we have found that the levels of organic matter in the water do not affect the destruction of PFAS. We have found that the efficiency of the destruction is the same in landfill leachate as in model waters without any other organic compounds present.

 

Where is the treated water discharged?

This always depends on what your technology treatment train is, your facility’s location and permitting. To discuss your facility in particular, contact us here.

 

What are the byproducts of the process?

Organic material is mineralized to basic constituents such as CO2, nitrogen gas, sulfate ions, and other innocuous salts. In the case of PFAS, the majority of the compound are mineralized to byproducts including CO2, HF, fluorine gas, and free fluoride ions. We have demonstrated that we can effectively destroy >90% of organic fluorine; you can learn more about this on our technology page.

 

Are you splitting water?

Yes – the water is electrolyzed to form hydrogen and oxygen gasses.

 

Is there any extra chemical addition required for the Aclarity process?

For most treatment scenarios, we do not need to add additional chemicals. We may add acids or bases to enhance some reactions. For waters with low conductivity, we may also add salts to enhance the reaction rate.

 

Can you treat drinking water or groundwater?

Yes, but we have found that we are more cost effective if we partner with another technology such as regenerable ion exchange or reverse osmosis to create a concentrated PFAS waste stream which we then destroy.

 

Can you treat contaminated soils?

We cannot treat solids like soils. Aclarity can partner with a soil washing process where we can then treat the wash water to destroy PFAS after they are removed from soil. 

 

Can Aclarity treat biosolids?

For biosolids there is an opportunity to place the Aclarity system at a wastewater treatment plant to destroy PFAS on industrial waste streams before they enter the facility. That way, PFAS are greatly minimized.