Removal of PFAS chemicals from Wastewater and Sewage using Novel Hydrothermal Liquefaction Process

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals have been used in everything from food wrappers and compostable plates to carpets and raincoats. PFAS exposure has been linked to numerous health issues including cancer and infertility. While some PFAS contamination comes from large sites, such as firefighting training areas, the majority of PFAS released into the environment is from everyday product disposal. Wastewater Treatment Facilities (WWTFs) have been swept to the forefront of the fight against toxic PFAS chemicals in our waste and water supplies because PFAS contaminated waste flows into WWTFs through sewage and water runoff. For example, recent testing in Southern California demonstrated that the majority of PFAS contamination in drinking water could be traced back to WWTF water released into rivers and underground. WWTFs face technical and financial burdens disposing of PFAS contaminated waste. For example, PFAS contamination in Maine sewage prevented local disposal resulting in shipping up to 3,600 tons of solids per month into Canada. River Otter uses chemistry to transform sewage waste into fuel while destroying PFAS chemicals in the waste and process water. We harness the power of water under intense heat and pressure to remove bonded fluorine from PFAS hydrocarbon chains. This transforms PFAS and other biosolid waste into renewable fuels. River Otter does not turn PFAS into landfill waste, instead we turn toxic waste into a renewable energy source. Current PFAS destruction technologies available for WWTFs, such as incineration, gasification or pyrolysis, require dry waste and involve expensive and technologically challenging sewage drying. Our technology works with wet sewage. We want to design and construct River Otter Reactors (RORs) which could be added to current wastewater infrastructure to remove PFAS chemicals, reduce landfill waste, and produce renewable fuels. ROR systems could produce multiple commercial fuel products including natural gas, diesel, and sustainable aviation fuels without drilling for oil underground. Renewable fuels are “drop-in compatible� meaning usable in current engine technology without engine or distribution system changes, a hurdle for adoption of alternative fuels such as hydrogen. The ROR system will be the size of a standard shipping container and could be deployable at the over 14,500 rural municipal WWTFs around the United States without significant site expansion. River Otter’s beachhead customers are Justice40 communities, rural and underserved communities often overlooked by green energy initiatives. Implementation of modular ROR systems will significantly improve carbon emissions, energy savings, and chemical wastewater impact.