BioLargo Inc (OTCQB:BLGO) revealed that its Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator (AEC) technology is capable of treating water to below the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) newly proposed drinking water standards for a toxic soup of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
In a nutshell, PFAS are man-made persistent chemicals, resistant to breaking down in the environment. Some have been linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weight and other health problems, according to reports.
On March 14, 2023, the Biden-Harris administration revealed it is proposing long-expected national drinking water standards for six PFAS chemicals: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and GenX. The new rule puts down limits of four parts per trillion for the two most widespread PFAS chemicals that include PFOA and PFOS. The other four chemicals will have a combined calculated limit weighted by their health risks.
This move by the EPA, along with its September 2023 proposal to designate PFOA and PFOA as Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) hazardous substances, is the “most substantial step” taken by the government to regulate PFAS, noted BioLargo.
If finalized after a public comment period, the regulation will require that public water utilities monitor PFAS in their water, notify the public if limits are exceeded, and treat their water.
BioLargo offers PFAS mitigation services — including field testing, engineering design, and system installation — as well as water treatment systems, including its own PFAS treatment technology the Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator.
Good news for BioLargo
The Westminster, California-based engineering and cleantech solution company’s AEC has been proven through case studies done with PFAS-contaminated water supplied by municipalities across the country. The studies have demonstrated the AEC's ability to remove all six PFAS chemicals targeted by the EPA to below their respective limits of detection in drinking water.
In a statement, Randall Moore, the president of BioLargo Engineering, Science & Technologies (BLEST), said: "It is especially notable that our AEC technology can reduce the presence of PFBA and PFBS to below their detection limit because existing water treatment solutions like carbon-filtration and ion exchange tend to struggle to remove these.”
“Due to their small size and low polarity, they tend to slip right through carbon and other media-based technologies."
Meanwhile, BioLargo CEO Dennis P Calvert said the timing of the news is “perfect.”
“Assuming these regulations go into effect as written, many municipalities will soon be required to install PFAS treatment systems,” said Calvert. “Our system is the practical, affordable, sustainable solution for all PFAS treatment, generating far less PFAS-laden solid waste than other options.”
Calvert also pointed out that BioLargo Director of Commercialization Tonya Chandler is a sought-after speaker at PFAS-focused events.
BioLargo said it has already secured its first customer and the PFAS treatment work is underway at a “very large industrial site.”
“We are eager to offer our PFAS solution to more municipal and industrial customers,” said Calvert. “We don't just treat water contaminated with PFAS we also take on the responsibility of handling their solid waste to make it simple for the customer."
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow her on Twitter: @UttaraProactive