The chemical industry faces a huge challenge: the safe, efficient, and compliant removal of PFAS from process water and liquids. Stricter legislation, societal pressure, and increasing attention to health and the environment make PFAS filtration more urgent than ever. In this article, you’ll read exactly what PFAS are, why they’re such a major problem in the chemical industry, and which filtration solutions really work. We share practical examples, technical insights, and provide you with concrete tools to get started right away.
PFAS filtration in the chemical industry: solutions for water and process liquids
What are PFAS and why are they a problem in the chemical industry?
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a group of thousands of chemical compounds that are extremely resistant to degradation. They are widely used in industrial processes because of their unique properties: water-repellent, heat-resistant, and chemically inert. Unfortunately, PFAS are also notorious for their persistence in the environment (“forever chemicals”) and their potential harmful effects on humans and animals.
Why is PFAS an urgent issue in chemistry?
- Stricter regulations: European and national legislation (such as REACH) imposes increasingly strict requirements on PFAS discharges.
- Production and process risks: PFAS can corrode equipment, affect product quality, and lead to downtime or recalls.
- Reputation & Liability: Errors in PFAS management can lead to negative media attention and claims.
Three proven PFAS filtration solutions for the chemical industry
1. Activated carbon filtration
How does it work?
Activated carbon is capable of binding and removing a broad spectrum of PFAS molecules from water streams. Granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) are often used in process water filtration systems.
Advantages:
- Highly effective against long-chain PFAS
- Widely applicable, relatively low investment costs
- Easy to integrate into existing installations
- Less effective against some short-chain PFAS
- Regeneration/replacement of carbon requires periodic maintenance
- High removal rate, also for short-chain PFAS
- Produces very clean permeate water, which can often be reused.
- Can be combined with other filtration techniques
- Higher investment and operating costs
- Often requires extensive pretreatment (e.g., with bag filters or prefiltration to prevent fouling of the expensive membranes.
- Creates a concentrated PFAS brine that requires treatment.
Limitations:
BETA’s specialization: We supply high-quality activated carbon filter cartridges that are specifically designed for optimal contact time and removal efficiency in partial flow filtration systems.
2. Membrane filtration (ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis)
How does it work?
Membrane filtration uses very fine filters (membranes) that physically retain PFAS molecules. Reverse osmosis (RO) is particularly effective for virtually all PFAS variants.
Advantages:
Limitations:
3. Combined & Customized Systems (Hybrid Solutions)
How does it work?
The highest efficiency and robustness are often achieved by combining technologies. Consider an activated carbon step (for long-chain and organic pollutants) followed by a membrane step (for short-chain PFAS and polishing).