Nova Diamant AB has reached an important milestone in the Life Source project by successfully purifying the first batch of PFAS concentrate (Figure 1). Through advanced electrochemical oxidation (EO) and the use of boron-doped diamond electrodes, the amount of PFOA was reduced to less than one-thousandth. A total of 429 liters of concentrate from approximately 5000 m³ of PFAS-contaminated water was treated at the Hovgården waste facility.
Nova Diamant AB has developed an innovative method to break down “forever chemicals” such as PFOS in water. The process, based on electrochemical oxidation, uses boron-doped diamond electrodes, which provide a very high electrochemical potential and make it possible to effectively destroy highly persistent organic compounds.
With the help of SAFF technology, PFAS can be removed from contaminated water, but the pollutants are not broken down and instead accumulate in a concentrate that must be managed. By combining SAFF with EO technology, PFAS can be destroyed, which is what we have now investigated at the Hovgården waste facility.
During the process, the contaminated concentrate is circulated through an EO cell and back to a tank. With each passage, the concentration of PFAS molecules in the water decreases, while other oxidizable contaminants, such as dissolved organic material and pharmaceutical residues, are also removed.
The technology has proven to be effective in breaking down PFAS, but tests are still ongoing to understand the kinetics and energy consumption of the process.
The trials so far show that only a relatively low amount of energy is required (Figure 3). These evaluations will continue throughout the rest of 2024 within the framework of the LIFE-SOuRCE project.
For more information and updates on EO, follow our project here on https://www.life-source.se
