PFAS has rapidly become one of the most urgent water treatment challenges facing industries and utilities around the world. Once lauded for its durability, PFAS is now under increasing scrutiny due to its persistence in the environment and links to serious health risks; especially how it impacts the water we might eventually consume.
If it’s an issue with water, it’s an issue for Hydroleap. That’s why we explored both the scale of the problem and the technologies emerging to address it.
PFAS: The “Forever Chemicals”
PFAS, or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, are a group of synthetic chemicals used in products ranging from non-stick cookware and food packaging to semiconductors, firefighting foams, textiles, and industrial manufacturing. Their defining characteristic is the carbon-fluorine bond, one of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry. This makes PFAS highly resistant to degradation by heat, water, or biological processes.
That double-edged durability is precisely what makes PFAS dangerous.
These compounds accumulate in the environment and in the human body over time, earning them the label “forever chemicals.” Scientific studies have linked PFAS exposure to immune system disruption, developmental issues, hormone interference, and increased cancer risk.
Today, PFAS contamination has been detected globally across groundwater, rivers, reservoirs, and wastewater systems, including in Singapore, Australia, China, and the United States. Regulatory bodies are responding quickly. In 2024, the US EPA introduced some of the world’s strictest enforceable PFAS drinking water standards, with maximum contaminant levels measured in parts per trillion.
Why PFAS Removal Is So Difficult
Unlike many contaminants that can be biologically degraded or chemically neutralized, PFAS molecules are exceptionally stable and highly soluble in water. This makes conventional wastewater treatment systems largely ineffective at fully removing or destroying them.
In the past, approaches have focused more on separating PFAS from water rather than destroying the compounds themselves. Technologies such as granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange resins, and reverse osmosis membranes can remove PFAS from a water stream, but they often create a secondary waste problem in the form of concentrated reject streams or exhausted media that still require disposal or destruction.
The writing is on the wall. In order to nip it in the bud, we must turn towards destructive technologies rather than transfer technologies.
Emerging Solutions for PFAS Treatment
Several advanced PFAS destruction technologies are now emerging globally. Among them, advanced electrooxidation is gaining attention for its ability to directly attack and break the carbon-fluorine bond responsible for PFAS persistence.
Rather than concentrating contaminants, electrooxidation works by generating highly reactive hydroxyl radicals that mineralize PFAS into simpler end-products such as carbon dioxide, water, and fluoride ions.
However, the process comes with its own engineering challenges. PFAS molecules are often present in low concentrations across very large water volumes, making efficient contact between contaminants and the electrode surface critical to treatment performance.
What Hydroleap Is Working On
At Hydroleap, we are developing an integrated PFAS treatment approach centered around advanced electrooxidation technology, leveraging novel electrode materials and complementary process innovations to enhance treatment efficiency and sustainability
The process incorporates a pre-treatment and concentration strategy to reduce the treatment volume and enrich PFAS in a smaller stream, thereby improving the efficiency of downstream destruction processes
From there, Hydroleap integrates nanobubble-assisted electrooxidation as a force multiplier within the treatment process:
- They improve mass transfer near the electrode surface, increasing the probability of PFAS molecules reaching reactive zones
- They enhance hydroxyl radical generation and lifespan, improving oxidation performance overall
Together, the integrated system aims to:
- Improve mineralization efficiency
- Reduce secondary waste generation
- Lower energy demand compared to standalone destruction systems
- Create a scalable pathway for PFAS destruction in industrial applications
Hydroleap is currently exploring applications across industries including semiconductor manufacturing, landfill leachate treatment, firefighting foam remediation, industrial wastewater, and utilities.
The Road Ahead
PFAS is no longer an emerging contaminant. It is now a global infrastructure challenge.
As regulations tighten and public awareness grows, industries will increasingly need technologies capable not just of removing PFAS from water, but permanently destroying them in an energy-efficient and operationally practical way.
At Hydroleap, we believe the future of PFAS treatment lies in integrated systems that combine concentration, advanced oxidation, and process optimisation into a single treatment strategy.
In the words of Dr. Ubisha Joshi, our foremost researcher for the PFAS use case, “Our PFAS lab results spark hope for a more PFAS-Free water future. Send your samples for testing and discover what’s possible.”
The challenge ahead is significant, but so is the opportunity to rethink how the world approaches persistent contaminants.
Interested in learning more?
Hydroleap is actively exploring partnerships, pilot projects, and industry collaborations around PFAS treatment and advanced electrochemical water technologies.
Get in touch with our team to discuss:
- PFAS treatment challenges
- Pilot opportunities
- Industrial wastewater applications
- Integrated destruction technologies
Together, we can build more sustainable solutions for the next generation of water treatment.
If you’d like to know more, email z.loh@hydroleap.com or u,joshi@hydroleap.com to test the removal of PFAS in your water today.