Weaver Labs delivers smarter and more effective PFAS removal at the lowest life-cycle costs.
The heightened awareness of PFAS contamination risks in water has intensified the search for more effective and sustainable treatment solutions. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose significant challenges in water treatment due to their persistence and association with adverse health effects. While conventional removal technologies have been widely utilised, they require frequent media replacements, are sensitive to organics and other contaminants and exhibit limitations in addressing short-chain PFAS. Weaver Labs’ Fluor-Mop technology offers selective, effective and cost-efficient PFAS removal. Fluor-Mop was specifically designed to target PFAS, has best-in-class PFAS selectivity and up to eight times better removal performance than conventional technologies. Because Fluor-Mop is regenerable on-site, it significantly lowers operational expenses and reduces long-term ownership costs – making it a more sustainable solution to the PFAS contamination crisis.
The PFAS challenge: A global water crisis
PFAS are synthetic chemicals known for their water- and grease-resistant properties and are widely used in consumer and industrial applications. But these same properties make them extremely difficult to remove from the environment. PFAS don’t break down naturally; they accumulate in water, soil, wildlife, and human bodies. Today, PFAS can be found in nearly every human on Earth.
This is more than an environmental issue; it’s a public health risk. PFAS exposure has been linked to adverse health effects. Therefore, regulations such as enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS are being developed, and many water systems need to implement PFAS removal. It is estimated that over half of the American population has PFAS-contaminated drinking water that exceeds the proposed limits of the EPA. These numbers may be even higher in Europe depending on regulation. However, the current water infrastructure was not built with PFAS contamination in mind, and current removal technologies were not designed for PFAS removal. The costs of remediation are incredibly high, with estimates ranging from $200bn for the US to over $100bn per year for Europe. As PFAS contamination continues to challenge water systems, traditional remediation technologies alone are insufficient for comprehensive removal.
Weaver Labs’ Fluor-Mop: Redefining PFAS removal
At Weaver Labs, we have engineered a smarter, more effective solution. Our Fluor-Mop technology is a proprietary, regenerable PFAS removal technology that outperforms conventional methods up to eight times. Unlike traditional methods, Fluor-Mop was specifically designed to target PFAS, and we approach this at a molecular level. The result is a silica-based adsorbent designed to form multiple strong interactions with both long- and short-chain PFAS compounds, while being unaffected by other contaminants in the water.
Key performance highlights
The performance of Fluor-Mop was validated on real-world water matrices from PFAS-contaminated sites in a comparative study versus conventional removal methods.
- Validated through challenging real-world testing: Successfully tested on PFAS-contaminated water from a US Air Force base, and removal performance was confirmed by an independent third-party performance evaluation.
- High removal efficiency: Fluor-Mop demonstrated near-complete removal performance for eight different PFAS compounds, ranging from long-chain to short-chain PFAS.
- Outperformed conventional methods: The evaluation showed that Fluor-Mop consistently exceeded the removal performance of granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange resin (IEX) across all tested compounds, with higher bars indicating better removal performance.
Lower costs, greater impact
Fluor-Mop isn’t just more effective, it’s more economical. Unlike other technologies, Fluor-Mop is regenerable over multiple cycles with very limited loss of performance using standard industry processes. These regeneration processes can be tailored to suit specific treatment systems, ultimately enabling convenient on-site regeneration.
This enables some high-impact solutions:
- Reducing costs: 50% lower operational expenses resulting in 35% lower life-cycle costs over 20 years.
- Lower waste volumes: Produces minimal, highly concentrated waste, significantly lowering handling and destruction costs for subsequent remediation steps.
- Enabling complete remediation: Optimised for PFAS destruction technologies due tohigh PFAS concentration
and absence of interfering contaminants; achieving more efficient and cost-effective overall treatment.
Solving the crisis together
There is no single solution to the PFAS crisis. It’s a complex, persistent challenge that demands collaboration across industries, technologies, and regulatory agencies. At Weaver Labs, we’re building solutions that match the scale and urgency of the problem – solutions that are powerful, practical, proven in the field. We believe the most effective path forward is built on partnership and innovation. Currently, leading technology providers across the water sector are evaluating our technology in their treatment systems, allowing them to serve municipal and industrial end-users with greater reliability and cost efficiency.
Together with industry leaders and water treatment experts, we’re building a new standard for PFAS remediation: smarter, faster, and more sustainable. Let’s combine our expertise, resources, and determination to address this critical water challenge together.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 23rd edition of our quarterly publication.
