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PFAS

What Are PFAS?

Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are sometimes known as “Forever Chemicals” due to the fact that they are resistant to heat, water and oil. They don’t break down easily in the environment and are known to travel extremely long distances through ground water and waterways.

Invented in the 1950s by Du Pont and subsequently manufactured by 3M, PFAS are found in Teflon non-stick pans, Scotch Guard and the AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) commonly used by Defence Forces and Fire Fighters globally until around the year 2000. When 3M exited the PFAS business in the year 2000, studies concluded that 95% of the world’s water was contaminated with PFAS.

How does PFAS enter the Environment?

Most of the current controversy surrounds the use of firefighting foams such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), which were used to fight fires and for firefighting training from the 1970s to the mid-2000s. PFAS is also found in heat and stain-resistant products such as Teflon, scotch guard and many other products manufactured by 3M. PFAS can be released into the environment from landfill sites where products and materials containing these chemicals break down and can get into surface and ground water through sewage discharges.

The biggest problem with PFAS (PFOS & PFOA) is that they do not break down in the environment and can travel for long distances through water and air. They are in fact known to bio-accumulate, which means they can build up over time in animals (including humans). PFAS contamination has been linked in studies in the US to infertility and many other serious health concerns such as thyroid disease, suppressed immune functions and even cancer.

What happens to PFAS once in the environment?

PFAS that make their way into the environment do not go away, but they do move. Their mobility means they can be found far from their original sources. You don’t need to live beside a PFAS-producing factory to be exposed to their effects. When we release PFAS into our water, it flows out from stream to river, then out to sea, circulating in ocean currents.

Once it gets into the tiniest of organisms, its position in the food chain grows. From plankton to small fish, to big fish, to sea birds (unless, of course, we catch the big fish and take it straight to our plates). They are in the air we breathe, the soil our food is grown in and the water we drink, and through all these environmental channels, PFAS can reach people and wildlife worldwide.

Attapure PFAS System (Coming Soon)

Complete Home Filtration is currently in the final stages of developing and launching our new proprietary filtration technology, a world-first chemical filtration system that protects people from contaminated water. This new technology (called “Attapure”) has been designed specifically for removing 100% of PFAS compounds from contaminated bore water via a novel PFAS removing Point of Entry water filtration system.

Scientific knowledge regarding PFAS’ environmental occurrence, the effects of exposure, test methods and remediation technologies is rapidly evolving worldwide. Activated carbon and Reverse Osmosis have been known to significantly reduce PFAS, but up to now, no one has been able to develop a water filter that can reduce PFAS to a healthy consumable level.

Please check back with us in mid-2023 for Attapure filtration system details and availability.

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Find out more about PFAS

PFAS are a massive issue that affects the entire world. If you would like to find out more or enquire about our removal technology, get in touch.