EPA Study Finds Up to 99% PFAS Destruction
Reworld PFAS destruction study found up to 99% destruction of a surrogate compound at its Florida treatment facility.
Reworld reported that a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study at its Lake County Thermomechanical Treatment Facility in Okahumpka, Florida, found destruction of up to 99% of a conservative PFAS surrogate compound. The study also found all tested PFAS compounds were either non-detectable or well below ambient air quality standards. No products of incomplete combustion were observed during normal operating conditions. The findings support Reworld’s ReAssure PFAS Destruction service, which offers approximately 17 million tons of processing capacity across the United States.
Study Tests Conservative Surrogate
The EPA study was conducted in spring 2024 under conditions intended to represent PFAS in municipal, commercial, and industrial waste streams. Because PFAS content in incoming waste cannot be precisely quantified, researchers injected a stable fluorinated surrogate gas into the furnace to assess destruction efficiency. Reworld describes the compound as harder to destroy than other PFAS.
The company has published the study results, which examine the performance of its thermomechanical treatment process for PFAS-containing materials.
Azeez Mohammed, President and CEO at Reworld, said:
“PFAS contamination is one of the defining environmental crises of our generation. These ‘forever chemicals’ do exactly what their name suggests. They persist, accumulate, and become a growing burden for every generation that follows. We cannot continue treating PFAS as tomorrow’s problem. This EPA study marks a turning point by demonstrating that compounds specifically engineered to resist degradation can be permanently destroyed. It proves that PFAS destruction is achievable at scale, and that Reworld has the technology to confront this challenge.”
Processing Network For PFAS Waste
Reworld said its thermomechanical treatment facilities process waste at temperatures above 1,100°C, or 2,012°F. Through ReAssure, the company provides access to more than 50 material processing facilities that prepare non-bulk PFAS waste for delivery to its treatment facilities.
The service also includes activated-carbon wastewater treatment, logistics coordination, and documented chain of custody from pickup through final destruction. Reworld said its treatment facilities are accessible to major U.S. markets and serve PFAS-containing materials from municipal, commercial, and industrial waste streams.
Capacity For Full Scale Treatment
Reworld said its treatment network has processing capacity of approximately 17 million tons and operates at a capacity scale more than 17 times greater than hazardous waste incineration. The company says the solution to PFAS is destruction rather than shifting the burden to future generations.
Azeez Mohammed, President and CEO at Reworld, added:
“PFAS is a clear and urgent issue, and the time to act is now. The science is no longer in question; we’ve demonstrated that permanent PFAS destruction at scale is possible. It is our shared responsibility to put that capability into action.”
