Eliminating PFAS - Bioforcetech Technology Shows Promise through EPA Testing

Since it was founded in 2013, Bioforcetech has been working to rethink biosolids treatment at every step of the process. Our work has culminated in a deeply sustainable system that harnesses the energy already available in biosolids to dry and carbonize it with little to no external energy. Our patented Bioforcetech BioDryer (designed in house) and P-Series Pyrolysis machines (licensed and engineered in partnership with Pyreg GmbH) work together to reduce material volume and weight by 90%, lock available carbon in place for centuries, and produce a valuable biochar material all with 99% less external energy requirement than a standard paddle dryer. The Bioforcetech system is modular, capable of handling 80% of all US plants by linking units together in series, so that a plant can begin processing now with room to build as their capacity grows. At present time, we are proudly the only commercially available functioning pyrolysis project in the USA, and are running our units under some of the most stringent permitting conditions in the world (We have received an SSI exemption from the EPA and have received full permitting from BAAQMD). At Bioforcetech, we know that change is possible through collaboration across sectors and industries, which is why we are also investing in finding new applications for biochar that will lighten the carbon footprint of other industries and help grow the market for the material across the world. Our wastewater treatment is of utmost importance to human health. The accumulation of PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS in wastewater effluents puts our industry in a unique position to aid in the removal of these substances from our population.At Bioforcetech we have taken the PFAS issue as a personal challenge to overcome, and we are now proud to share that testing conducted on our technology shows considerable promise for its ability to successfully eliminate these harmful substances from input materials completely. When continuously applied, these CEC's bioaccumulate into the soils we walk on, the groundwater we drink, and the plants that we eat. As described by the EPA, high accumulations of PFOA, PFAS and PFOS can cause serious health effects including increased cholesterol levels, issues with infant birth weights, adverse effects on the immune system, cancer (for PFOA) and thyroid hormone effects (for PFOS). While the production of these chemicals has been phased out in the United States, similar chemicals like GenX have taken their place and continue to be created. The presence of PFAS, PFOA and PFOS in biosolids makes even the most beneficial land application of the material a serious risk to human and environmental health. In September 2019, we at Bioforcetech initiated testing of our drying and pyrolysis process to determine our ability to eliminate CEC's from biosolids. To do this, Bioforcetech isolated a single large batch of biosolids and tested samples of this batch for PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS at each step of our drying and pyrolysis process. An initial sample was taken of anaerobically digested biosolids at 17% solids content, a second sample was taken of 91% solids content biosolids after the batch was dried in our patented Biodryer, and a third sample was taken after the batch was put through our P Five pyrolysis machine. The analysis of these three samples conducted by Vista Analytical Laboratory showed the reduction of 38 PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS compounds to below detectable levels after pyrolysis from a significant presence in both of the biosolids samples. In May of 2020, an EPA PFAS Task Force representative contacted Bioforcetech as part of a search for technology that could solve the PFAS issue. We were happy to work with the EPA to further test our technology, and found the results promising again. The tests conducted on our biochar samples by the EPA Task Force in August of 2020 confirmed undetectable levels of 41 PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS compounds that the task force tested. The results from the EPA's analysis including methods involved will be formally published in November of 2021. The results of multiple tests conducted and confirmed by different constituents shows great promise for the ability of Bioforcetech's system to remove PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS from biosolids completely. While more rigorous testing must be completed, we are motivated and inspired by the results thus far. PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS have permeated every part of our planet. Wastewater effluents provide a unique context where these chemicals can bottleneck together and appear at relatively high volume. It is therefore our responsibility as an industry to leverage this context and destroy PFAS, PFOA, and PFOS before it accumulates further in our soil, food and within our bodies. Solving this challenge is crucial to completing the Bioforcetech mission; to protect nature and human health by providing technologies that deliver a zero waste future, transforming organic waste into sustainable products. We are looking forward to continuing this work.