RIKEN TECHNOS Demonstrates PFAS Degradation in River and Dam Water

RIKEN TECHNOS and Niihama College, part of National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), confirmed degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in river and dam water using a photocatalytic technology under conditions close to real-world environments. The results showed PFAS undergoing stepwise degradation rather than simple adsorption onto the catalyst, without requiring special reagents or large amounts of energy. The companies plan to work on optimizing processing conditions, repeated-use performance and scale-up, and to study iron-oxide-based photocatalysts for other refractory organic substances including PFAS.

Key facts

Market context

PFAS are a family of synthetic fluorinated compounds valued for their water, oil and heat resistance, and they have been used in coatings, firefighting foams, semiconductor processing and non-stick and textile finishes. Because their carbon-fluorine bonds resist breakdown, they persist in water and soil, which has pushed regulators and utilities toward stricter monitoring and purification requirements. Demand for treatment technology is driven mainly by municipal water utilities, industrial operators and environmental remediation contractors. Conventional approaches such as activated carbon adsorption and ion exchange mainly capture PFAS rather than destroy them, so they create spent media that still needs handling. Photocatalytic methods that break molecules down in place are therefore of interest to buyers looking for alternatives. Iron oxide catalysts are inexpensive, widely available and well established in industrial use, which makes them attractive as a basis for scalable treatment products. Any future commercial uptake would depend on performance under field conditions and on cost at scale.

Source: official release on rikentechnos.co.jp. Summary and context written by Market Krystal.