BioLargo Inc (OTCQB:BLGO) announced that its Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator (AEC) has been proven to eliminate multiple per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) compounds from water provided by a large municipality in Southern California.
Man-made PFAS chemicals generated by industrial operations are resistant to breaking down in the environment, and have been linked to adverse health effects, which is why they are subject to increasing regulatory action from the Biden Administration and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
PFAS have been linked to cancer, developmental delays, and hormone disorders among other problems. The Washington DC-based Environmental Working Group, which coined the term “forever chemicals”, says PFAS have been found in water in over 2,800 locations in the US. Experts have linked PFAS to detrimental effects on health and the environment due to their tendency to persist in the environment and human body.
Westminster, California-based BioLargo previously reported that the AEC had reduced the levels of several PFAS compounds present in water provided by the prospective municipal client to below state and federal standards.
“These new results prove that the AEC has removed multiple PFAS compounds to below the limit of quantification following optimization of the AEC's membranes and contact time,” said the company.
In a statement, Randall Moore, who is the president of BioLargo Engineering, Science & Technologies (BLEST), said: "These results confirm not only that the AEC can deliver virtually total elimination of PFAS from contaminated drinking water, but that the technology can, with relative ease, be fine-tuned to achieve varying levels of treatment performance as prescribed by a client's own treatment goals and regulatory needs."
In the meantime, Tonya Chandler, who is the director of strategic marketing and business development at BioLargo, noted that the results show that the AEC is an “effective solution for customers seeking PFAS water treatment and removal,” and will be integral as BLEST advances to commercial trials and first sales of the technology.
“Our AEC system is capable of total PFAS elimination while generating less than 1/1000 the volume of PFAS-laden waste product compared to carbon filtration, the most common solution in the market today,” said Chandler. “No one wants to trade one environmental disaster for another, and the AEC helps avoid the trailing environmental impact and significant cost associated with disposal of PFAS-laden carbon."
The two common and widespread PFAS compounds – PFOA and PFOS – are found in common household and industrial products. Both compounds have been found in water supplies across the US, and municipalities are struggling to find a feasible and affordable solution to remove PFAS from their water.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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