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Press Release: Advances in PFAS Treatment Technology

Michigan-based Enspired Solutions proudly announces an award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to develop a new and sustainable alternative for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) cleanup.

“What we are doing has a lot of potential for cost savings in PFAS remediation. More importantly, it has huge implications for promoting healthier lives.” – Dr. Denise Kay, Enspired Solutions

PFAS comprise a class of thousands of toxic compounds that have been found in drinking water sources in 34 US states and in the blood of 97% of people tested. Enspired Solutions, a Women’s Business Enterprise Nation Council-certified, women-owned environmental technology company has developed a groundbreaking process that destroys PFAS and can be used to clean up PFAS-contaminated sites at much lower cost than other technologies. Leveraging patented micelle-accelerated photo-activated reductive defluorination (PRD), Enspired Solutions’ technology mineralizes PFAS in solution, resulting in non-toxic end products.

Now Enspired Solutions is addressing another PFAS problem: resin capture. Small pieces of resin are often used to treat water by soaking up the PFAS like a sponge. But once the “sponge” is saturated with PFAS, where should it go?

“We’ve realized that the use of adsorption technologies like resin is widespread,” said the project’s principal investigator and Enspired Solutions’ Research Director Dr. Suzanne Witt. “Unfortunately, these methods produce waste in the form of PFAS-laden sorbent media or regenerant solutions, which are costly to dispose of and becoming highly regulated.” The current strategies for disposal; burning or burying, can release PFAS into the air and water leading to further spread of PFAS in the environment.

To provide a sustainable alternative, Enspired Solutions has announced they are tailoring their PRD process for a new application that could have huge implications for PFAS cleanup. As part of a project for NIEHS, they will be permanently destroying PFAS that has been preconcentrated via resin capture. The year-long project will also involve the research and development of methodology to regenerate the resin for re-use in further PFAS removal. When paired with PFAS capture on sorbents, the PRD technology developed at Enspired Solutions can provide a safe, energy efficient, and cost-effective approach for on-site PFAS capture and permanent destruction.

“This system will provide a complete, on-site PFAS capture plus destruction solution that will eliminate secondary waste generation and put an end to the spread of PFAS.” – Dr. Witt, Enspired Solutions

Enspired Solutions is already looking to the future. In Phase II of the project, they plan to test the treatment concept with a variety of PFAS-laden wastewater samples and various types of PFAS adsorption media, which will have more complex matrices and a broader range of applications.

Media Relations Email: sarah.meyer@enspiredsolutions.com

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About Enspired Solutions: Enspired Solutions is a Michigan-based environmental technology company with a global mission to permanently alleviate PFAS risks to ALL. We don't just work for profit; we work for a better life for people and our planet.