Grantee Research Project Results

Development of a Chemical-free Short-wavelength UV Based PFAS Destruction Technology for Saline Wastewater Treatment

EPA Contract Number: 68HERC24C0013
Title: Development of a Chemical-free Short-wavelength UV Based PFAS Destruction Technology for Saline Wastewater Treatment
Investigators: Yu, Xuejun
Small Business: Water Illumination, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2023 through May 30, 2024
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2024) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , PFAS Treatment , Water Treatment

Description:

The project team at Water Illumination Inc. (WI) aims to address urgent and important global contamination issues of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – also known as “forever chemicals” – in wastewater through a novel chemical-free short-wavelength UV based PFAS destruction technology for saline wastewater treatment, including leachate, industrial wastewater, RO concentrate, and ion exchange regenerant solutions. The overarching goal of the proposed 6-month Phase I project is to demonstrate technical feasibility via an enabling innovation strategy as a basis for an effective, scalable solution applicable to wastewater processing facilities. The ability to completely destroy PFAS using short-wavelength UV light without generating secondary waste streams or toxic byproducts for wastewater treatment will facilitate new, sustainable and commercially viable ways to mitigate PFAS and enable cost-effective water infrastructure for both centralized and decentralized wastewater treatment. Current and emerging PFAS removal technologies have significant drawbacks in byproduct generation and require harsh operating conditions. This new technology is advantageous to existing ones. The fundamental scientific basis of this technology was discovered by the academic partner of the project team at UC Riverside and has led to a pending worldwide patent (application no. 63/345,784).

 Using clean light energy, our tunable technology produces a highly reactive system to fully break the carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS compounds, thus it can completely destroy both short-chain and long-chain PFAS without generating secondary waste streams or any impure byproducts or emissions. Our novel PFAS destruction process can be catalyzed by the presence of wastewater constituents (e.g., chloride and sulfate) to boost its reactivity substantially, enabling PFAS treatment of wastewater with a very short hydraulic retention time (i.e., minutes). Furthermore, our technology operates at ambient temperatures and pressure levels and is applicable to wastewater and industrial wastewater PFAS treatment, whereas other emerging destructive technologies (e.g., hydrothermal alkaline and supercritical water oxidation) require harsh operating conditions with associated high energy costs. The proposed activities are well-reasoned, well-organized, and based on encouraging to-date findings employing sound rationale and methods to enable success. The project team is well-qualified to conduct the proposed activities, and has established a strong partnership with UC Riverside and water districts in California as potential end users for commercialization. WI is a start-up company focused on the development of revolutionary water treatment technologies. Through commercialization under a sustainable business model, the project team will advance broader economic benefit and create high-paid jobs in the water-scare economically fast-growing inland southern California region. 

Progress and Final Reports:

Final Report

SBIR Phase II:

Demonstration of a Chemical-free Short-wavelength UV Based PFAS Destruction Technology for Saline Wastewater Treatment