It's no secret that the past year and a half has brought a great deal of change and challenge to our industry.
As we move forward into our shared future, increased interest in sustainability and ESG goals will continue to challenge each of us to find new solutions to tough problems. And within the wastewater space, the first impending test of our creativity may be upcoming EPA regulations on perand polyfluoroalkyl substances, materials known as "PFAs."
PFAs are what's known as "forever chemicals," or manufactured materials that don't break down readily. PFAs are found in everyday objects like candy wrappers, nonstick cookware, water-resistant clothing, firefighting foam and even microwave popcorn bags. As a result, they ultimately find their way into our water, air and soil.
Scientists have been studying, with increased focus, the potential adverse effects these chemicals may have on humans as well as the environment and wildlife, and there's information that suggests they may be linked to certain types of cancer, weakened immune systems and low infant birth weight.
That's why the EPA recently announced a strategic roadmap to address and regulate PFAs and the organizations that manufacture, generate or use these materials. Generators of materials with PFAs will most likely have to classify them as a hazardous waste when shipping them outbound. As it relates specifically to wastewater treatment, the EPA will issue revised effluent limitations guidelines (ELGs) after the conclusion of multiple studies related to PFAs; these steps will allow them to create enforceable drinking water limits on PFAs in the next two years, although the exact timeline of updated guidelines remains unknown for the time being. But they are in our industry's near future, turning PFAs into a hot-button issue - one that we can start preparing for today.
The good news is there are already solutions to help our industry safely and sustainably manage and treat these materials as we at CIRCON Environmental know well. Landfill leachate, for example, is one stream in which PFAs can be prevalent, and we know how to remove these materials from the water: activated carbon has shown to be very effective, as well as ion exchange and reverse osmosis. Following the removal of PFAs, the right partner can recycle that water and return it to public systems for safe use - a sustainable solution to be proud of.
The remaining recovered waste stream of concentrated PFAs will remain, however, and incineration is presently the best guaranteed method to destroy these chemicals. As the magnified interest in PFAs trickles down from the EPA to various industry producers and players, it's a safe bet that more time and money will be spent on finding innovative and efficient solutions to this waste stream.
For organizations within our industry who will soon be held more accountable when it comes to these chemicals and have to adjust their operations to meet these eventual regulations and limitations, it will take additional work, require new technologies and there will be a cost associated with those improved methodologies. True leaders in the waste management space will be standing by to meet these new regulations appropriately, with innovation and partnership.
Increased regulations and ELGs for PFAs will continue to be a conversation within the wastewater world for the foreseeable future. But we've learned, even in the past 18 months, that our industry is capable of more change than is often perceived. These hot-button conversations about finding safer, greener solutions can lead to better, more sustainable business in the future for our entire industry and the communities we serve.
For more information, visit www.circonenviro.com or call (281) 474-4210.
