Finding an End to Forever Chemicals
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their strong carbon-fluorine bonds. They were designed to be durable, and they do not readily break down in the environment. Due to these characteristics, guidance is needed to appropriately dispose of PFAS containing materials. Both the US EPA and the DOD have provided financial and technical resources to solve the problem of PFAS disposal.
Recently, the US EPA completed the most comprehensive study on PFAS destruction to date. The EPA chose a hazardous waste incinerator at a Clean Harbors facility capable of processing many types of waste streams that was known to effectively destroy certain PFAS.
This study took the science further. Rather than focusing only on long-chain PFAS, this study also looked at products of incomplete destruction (PIDs). These are compounds that can be created when the destruction process does not fully break every carbon-fluorine bond in the PFAS containing material.
To prove that the system was able to destroy PFAS without creating PIDs, the study used an indicator compound, Hexafluoroethane (C2F6). This compound may not seem like a traditional PFAS, but it was the perfect choice due to its basic carbon-fluorine structure and durability.
During the study, C2F6 was spiked into the incinerator while samples of the effluent stack gas were collected using EPA Method OTM-50. These samples were analyzed by the Eurofins Environment Testing laboratory in Knoxville, TN for C2F6 along with 31 other fluorinated compounds. Using data from Eurofins, the facility was able to prove that C2F6 was destroyed at a rate greater than 99.999%.
While this study alone does not answer the question of how to dispose of PFAS, it does provide an important step in understanding the science behind the destruction.
Eurofins Environment Testing Laboratories in Knoxville, TN and Sacramento, CA also supported the OTM-45 and 1633 analyses demonstrating destruction rates of 99.94 to 99.9999% for nine, long-chain, polar PFAS (HFPO-DA, PFBA, PFHxA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFBS, PFHxS, and PFOS).
PFAS Air Testing Pioneers
Industry Leaders Since 1968
Established in 1968, Eurofins Environment Testing in Knoxville, TN has evolved from a modest testing facility into an industry leading air emissions testing laboratory. We specialize in ambient and source-air emissions testing across diverse matrices, with particular expertise in preparing and analyzing air sampling trains for stack gas emissions from challenging sources.
PFAS Innovation Timeline
2018: Responded to industry demand by developing the first in-house modified Method 0010 sampling protocols to characterize HFPO-DA emissions.
2021: Partnered with EPA-ORD in RTP (North Carolina) to refine and expand capabilities that became the basis for OTM-45.
2022-2023: Following EPA's focus on volatile fluorinated non-polar compounds, we initiated R&D for OTM-50 utilizing passivated stainless-steel canisters.
2024: Successfully completed paired sampling and analysis with EPA implementing both OTM-45 and OTM-50 methodologies at a thermal treatment facility, confirming our position at the forefront of PFAS testing technology.
Our continuous method development and close collaboration with regulatory authorities ensure our clients receive the most advanced, compliant PFAS testing services available in the industry.