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Breaking Bonds: How H2Plus is Revolutionizing PFAS Treatment

Learn how H2Plus helped a mid-sized city eliminate PFAS contamination from its water supply, ensuring clean, safe drinking water for its residents.

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Introduction

A major landfill operator faced significant challenges in managing high levels of PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination in its leachate. PFAS compounds, often found in industrial and consumer products, are highly resistant to conventional treatment methods and pose long-term environmental risks. With regulatory limits tightening, the landfill needed an effective solution to reduce PFAS levels in its leachate to meet compliance standards and ensure safe discharge.

The operator partnered with H2Plus to implement a cutting-edge solution based on hydrated electron technology. Within minutes, the H2Plus system achieved substantial PFAS reductions, ultimately bringing contaminant levels below regulatory limits. This case study highlights H2Plus’s innovative approach and the success of its rapid, sustainable PFAS treatment.

The Challenge

Landfill leachate is a complex waste stream containing a variety of pollutants, including high concentrations of PFAS due to its persistence and accumulation over years. The landfill operator had tested multiple treatment methods, but none could sufficiently reduce PFAS concentrations, particularly in such high concentrations, nor within a practical timeframe.

Specific challenges included:

Generation of Hydrated
Electrons H2Plus technology generates hydrated electrons, which are highly effective at breaking the C-F bonds in PFAS molecules, rendering them into non-harmful byproducts.
Need for Rapid, Compliant Treatment
The operator required a solution that would bring PFAS levels below regulatory limits within a limited timeframe to ensure compliant discharge.
High Treatment Costs 
Conventional methods were prohibitively costly and inefficient for high PFAS concentrations.

Solution: H2Plus Hydrated Electron Technology

H2Plus introduced its hydrated electron technology, a powerful solution designed to break down PFAS molecules effectively by targeting and destroying the strong C-F bonds within these compounds.

Key Aspects of the Solution:

Generation of Hydrated Electrons 
H2Plus technology generates hydrated electrons, which are highly effective at breaking the C-F bonds in PFAS molecules, rendering them into non-harmful byproducts.
Hydrogen Bond Disruption
H2Plus’s technology disrupts hydrogen bonds in the water surrounding the PFAS molecules, allowing the hydrated electrons to diffuse rapidly toward the C-F bonds.
Bubble Interface for Targeted Degradation
PFAS molecules are drawn to the liquid bubble interface in the H2Plus plasma of fine bubbles, where they remain fixed, allowing hydrated electrons to directly attack and destroy the contaminants.
Complete Degradation to Non-Toxic Components 
The treatment breaks PFAS into safe byproducts, including fluoride ions, CO₂, sulfate, and water, ensuring compliance with environmental standards.

Implementation and Results

The H2Plus system was installed at the landfill’s leachate treatment site, where it treated PFAS at extremely high concentrations and rapidly reduced contamination levels.

Results After H2Plus Treatment:

Rapid PFAS Reduction 
Within 30 minutes, PFAS levels in the leachate dropped by **93.9%*, reducing from 443,000 PPT to 27,000 PPT.
Continued Reduction 
After the initial treatment, PFAS concentrations continued to decrease, reaching a **99% reduction within 60 minutes.*
Compliance Achieved
PFAS levels were brought below regulatory discharge limits, meeting strict compliance requirements and enabling safe disposal.

Specific PFAS Reductions in Leachate:

PFOA 
Reduced from an upper limit of 8 PPT to below detectable limits.
PFOS 
Reduced from an upper limit of 12 PPT to below detectable limits.
PFHxS
Reduced from an upper limit of 210,000 PPT to compliant levels within minutes.

Conclusion

The H2Plus solution offered the landfill operator a highly efficient, cost-effective method to manage PFAS contamination in leachate. By reducing PFAS concentrations by over 99% within an hour, H2Plus helped the operator achieve environmental compliance and protected local water sources from contamination. This case study demonstrates H2Plus’s capacity to address even the most challenging PFAS-contaminated waste streams, setting a new standard for landfill leachate treatment and PFAS remediation.

Key Benefits of H2Plus’s PFAS Remediation Solution:

Rapid Action 
Significant PFAS reduction within 30 minutes; compliance achieved within an hour.
Sustainable Process
Breaks down PFAS to non-toxic byproducts, aligning with environmental standards.
Cost-Effective
High efficiency and rapid treatment reduce operational costs compared to traditional methods.

Outcome

The landfill operator now uses H2Plus technology as its primary PFAS solution, providing a sustainable and scalable treatment method for future landfill leachate challenges. This successful partnership exemplifies H2Plus’s commitment to innovative, reliable environmental solutions.