How Do Novel Sorbents Work?

We are developing new PFAS remediation materials called “novel sorbents” (NS). The NS are selective PFAS remediation materials which are potential drop-in replacements for existing commercial PFAS sorbents.

The Novel Sorbents are designed to specifically bind PFAS over other ions or molecules in water. Because of this specificity, the Novel Sorbents removes a wide range of PFAS from water and are an effective sorbents over long useful lifetimes.

What is the Chemical Structure of the Novel Sorbent?

The Novel Sorbents are crosslinked, insoluble spherical resins. Proprietary chemistry is used to make the Novel Sorbent selective for PFAS removal from water.

Why Novel Sorbents?

Many commercial technologies are not designed specifically for PFAS, while the novel sorbents are. This means that novel sorbents may be more effective than commercial technologies in challenging water matrices or in locations where difficult-to-remove PFAS are found in natural water.

Many novel sorbents are regenerable, meaning they can be washed and reused many times. This results in a concentrated PFAS solution which can be destroyed by emerging destruction technologies.

The novel sorbents have been designed as potential drop-in solutions which may be compatible with existing water treatment infrastructure.

What About Other Technologies?

Other PFAS remediation sorbents have been developed and leverage similar or different interactions to bind and remove PFAS from water. In parallel with the novel sorbents, we are evaluating several commercial technologies for PFAS remediation for North Carolina ground and surface water.