The Building Blocks of PFAS Expertise: Breakthrough Solutions in Water Treatment
Source: Water Online – ALTRA
As PFAS contamination rises to national and global concern, water treatment innovators are facing unprecedented demand for cost-effective, reliable purification systems. Known as “forever chemicals,” per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) resist natural degradation and accumulate in soil, water, wildlife, and human bloodstreams—posing serious long-term health risks, including cancer and developmental disorders.
While governments tighten PFAS regulations, the burden falls on water infrastructure and remediation companies to detect, remove, and safely dispose of these contaminants. Proven technologies, advanced analytical capabilities, and scalable solutions are now at the core of managing PFAS pollution across North America.
Understanding the PFAS Challenge
PFAS have been in use since the 1940s in products like non-stick cookware, water-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foams. Despite their commercial utility, their environmental impact has become alarmingly clear. With thousands of contaminated sites, the urgency for high-performance PFAS removal methods has never been greater.
A key challenge lies in the chemical structure of PFAS, particularly their carbon-fluorine bonds, which make them incredibly difficult to break down. This demands treatment technologies that are not only effective but adaptable to different environmental and operational scenarios.
Field-Tested Innovations: A Model for PFAS Remediation
A compelling example of scalable PFAS removal comes from ALTRA, a Canadian environmental solutions firm featured in Water Online’s article. With over 20 years of experience in environmental cleanup, ALTRA has pioneered approaches using foam fractionation and proprietary filtration media.
One landmark project took place in 2001, where ALTRA treated groundwater contaminated by firefighting foam at a Canadian military base. Through foam fractionation and media filtration, the firm achieved 99% removal efficiency for PFOS and 10 PFAS compounds. A similar approach was used after the 2013 Lac-Mégantic rail disaster, where they treated 17 million gallons of contaminated water, removing 99.6% of PFAS.
Cutting-Edge Technologies: From Research to Reality
Between 2014 and 2017, ALTRA collaborated with McGill University and the University of Montréal to fine-tune its foam fractionation process. This research led to the development of ALTRA Media, a proprietary filtration media offering an alternative to traditional