Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals that give materials functional properties, including oil or water repellency. Textiles, paper, and firefighting foams are only some of the products that use these chemicals. Research suggests these additives have negative impacts on human health — possibly causing liver/kidney, thyroid, reproductive, developmental, and immunological issues, and cancer.
In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its Strategic Roadmap to address PFAS contamination nationwide. The EPA has highlighted increased investments in research, leveraging authorities to take action to restrict PFAS chemicals from being released into the environment, and accelerating the cleanup of PFAS contamination. Additionally, many state governments have introduced or are enacting rules for PFAS cleanup.
Insights Lead to Actionable Recommendations
It’s challenging to destroy PFAS compounds using currently available technology options, and we’re working with organizations to help them adjust operations to respond. In recent client work, the organization was considering funding the development and commercialization of an early-stage, PFAS-destruction process.
Our client needed to understand how this technology compared to existing solutions and the market dynamics driving adoption. We interviewed experts and gathered insights on
- existing and emerging PFAS treatment technologies, their advantages/disadvantages and costs.
- applicable use cases for the new process.
- market size and drivers, with a focus on current and pending regulatory drivers.
- regulatory acceptance pathways.
- potential development partners for the new process and ways to reach them.
We provided our client with actionable recommendations, which the organization used to make investment decisions related to this new PFAS treatment process.
Is your organization trying to stay on top of new legislation and policies related to chemicals of concern? We can help.
