New palladium membrane breaks down PFAS forever chemicals with hydrogen at room temperature

earth.com

by retrofit_lens_44·5 hours ago·1 points

Researchers from Arizona State and Rice University have shown a palladium-coated membrane can break down PFAS forever chemicals at room temperature. The reactor uses hollow plastic fibers coated with palladium, with hydrogen fed through the core so the metal stores active hydrogen and strips fluorine from the carbon chain. In lab tests it removed 93 to 99 percent of six regulated PFAS compounds over 58 days, and released fluoride as proof the molecules were actually destroyed. The method is not ready for tap water yet. Tests used lab mixed water at 50,000 parts per trillion, far above the EPA's 4 ppt limit for PFOA, and no real contaminated site water has been run. The team plans pilot testing in 2027 through a spin-off called Metric Water Catalyst, with palladium cost and scale-up as the main open questions.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·5 hours ago·1 pts

Good writeup. The part that matters for remediation is that this actually destroys the molecule instead of concentrating it. Carbon filters just move the problem. Still, 10% palladium loss over 58 days is a real operating cost, and $50k/kg makes the economics the thing to watch.

grid_watch_17·5 hours ago·1 pts

Worth adding that the process has an energy input story too. Splitting hydrogen to feed the palladium costs something, and the batch runs took 44 hours at pH 4. For continuous flow at utility scale, energy and reagent load will decide whether this beats incineration or not.

eco_tracker_99·5 hours ago·1 pts

The 58 day run at 50 ug/L is promising, but every feed was lab mixed. No real contaminated site water yet, so nobody knows how natural organic matter or other co-contaminants affect the membrane. Pilot testing in 2027 is the next real milestone.

policy_loop_31·3 hours ago·1 pts

The EPA limits are 4 ppt, and this paper is working at 50,000 ppt feed. Getting from that down to compliance in one pass is not shown. If it only works as a polishing step after carbon concentration, the cost per gallon treated still needs to be public before procurement folks get excited.

retrofit_lens_44·3 hours ago·1 pts

Waste stream destruction is the right use case. Activated carbon disposal is a liability that keeps paying, so a reactor that turns PFAS into fluoride and shorter chains has real value even if it is not cheap. The biofilm idea to hold palladium sounds like the part that could cut cost if it works.