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Why PFAS Are Dangerous and How Advanced Water Treatment Technology Can Help

Introduction

PFAS—short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—have become one of the most urgent environmental and public health concerns of the 21st century. Found in everything from firefighting foam to food packaging, these “forever chemicals” are nearly indestructible in nature and persist in water, soil, and even the human body for decades.

But the problem isn’t just their presence—it’s their toxicity and resistance to removal. Linked to serious health effects and now subject to strict federal and state regulation, PFAS contamination is pushing municipalities and industries to adopt more advanced treatment methods.

This white paper explores why PFAS are so harmful, what makes them difficult to treat, and how H2Plus’s hydrated electron-based destruction technology is helping solve the problem permanently.

Software and tools

To support safe and effective PFAS remediation, H2Plus provides:

Field-tested mobile units for drinking water and leachate
Lab-certified before-and-after analysis
Compliance support for federal and state reporting
Data dashboards for transparency and performance monitoring
ROI models comparing capture vs. destruction technologies

Other resources

Why Are PFAS Dangerous?

PFAS are synthetic compounds made with some of the strongest bonds in organic chemistry—the carbon-fluorine bond. This makes them:

Extremely persistent in the environment
Highly mobile in groundwater and surface water
Bioaccumulative in wildlife and humans

Health risks associated with long-term PFAS exposure include:

Kidney and testicular cancers
Liver damage
Developmental effects in infants
Thyroid disruption
Immune system suppression
Increased cholesterol levels

The U.S. EPA has now set national drinking water limits as low as 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for several PFAS compounds. For context, that’s like a single drop in an Olympic-sized pool.

The Limitations of Traditional PFAS Treatment

Conventional water treatment systems—like granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange resins, or reverse osmosis—can remove PFAS from water, but they don’t destroy them. Instead, they:

Transfer PFAS to a different medium (filters, brine, foam)
Require frequent replacement or disposal
Increase long-term liability
Often fail to fully remove short-chain PFAS

This leaves utilities and industries with new waste, disposal costs, and ongoing risk.

The H2Plus Solution: Destruction at the Molecular Level

H2Plus has developed a next-generation PFAS treatment system based on hydrated electron technology. Rather than capturing PFAS, the system destroys it, breaking the carbon-fluorine bond using highly reactive electrons suspended in water.

Key benefits:

Destroys >99% of PFAS, including short-chain and emerging variants
Leaves only fluoride ions, CO₂, and water—no filters, no waste
Modular and scalable for municipal, industrial, and landfill applications
Verified by independent labs under EPA testing methods
Low cost, with lower lifecycle costs than GAC or RO

Conclusion

PFAS aren’t just dangerous—they’re deceptively difficult to eliminate. Traditional treatment options delay the problem. H2Plus solves it.

By destroying PFAS at the molecular level, H2Plus technology helps communities and corporations meet today’s compliance challenges while preparing for tomorrow’s environmental expectations. It’s not just innovation—it’s protection.

Connect with our team to schedule a PFAS risk assessment or request a technology demo.