Available Technologies

VALUE PROPOSITION

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a widely used but toxic and carcinogenic group of man-made chemicals. They are extremely resistant to degradation and will persist in the environment and in the human body. PFAS are highly water soluble, thus contaminated drinking water is the primary source of exposure. The most common method for removing PFAS from water is using Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) to absorb them. This technique is slow and is not useful at removing shorter chain PFAS. MSU’s PFAS removal system is adaptable for industrial and residential water filtration.

DESCRIPTION OF TECHNOLOGY

MSU has developed a system for removing PFAS from water that is effective on all water-born PFAS regardless of chain size and chemistry. It is faster and has higher capacity than standard absorption methods. This device consists of two electrodes, with the inner electrode coated in biochar to aid absorption and the outer electrode consisting of metal tubing. Contaminated water flows through the gap between the two electrodes, and when a voltage is applied to them the electric field that is formed causes the PFAS molecules to be attracted to the center electrode where the PFAS are absorbed by the coating. Contact time for contaminated water can be much shorter than with other methods.

BENEFITS

• Removes all PFAS regardless of chain size
• Faster than GAC methods
• Inexpensive

APPLICATIONS

• Residential water treatment
• Industrial wastewater treatment

IP STATUS

Patent Pending

LICENSING RIGHTS AVAILABLE

Full licensing rights available

DEVELOPER

Dr. Qi Hua Fan

TECH ID

TEC2019-0044