EPA Research Partner Support Story: Crowdsourcing innovative solutions for non-thermal ways to destroy PFAS in concentrated firefighting foam
Partners: Environmental Council of States (ECOS) and its research arm, the Environmental Research Institute of the States (ERIS); Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE); Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE)
Challenge: Discover novel non-thermal way(s) of destroying PFAS in concentrated firefighting foam
Resource: Crowdsourcing innovative solutions through the challenge.gov platform, in collaboration with U.S. Department of Defense’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP)
Project Period: 2020 – 2021
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used for more than 60 years to make plastics, firefighting foams, and lubricants, and to help make products stain-resistant, waterproof, and nonstick. Addressing and managing PFAS in the environment is one of the most pressing issues facing EPA, states, tribes and regions.
"The collective creativity and ingenuity of participants from diverse backgrounds is what makes challenges like this so successful. We hope rewarding the creators of these innovative concepts helps to make these technologies a reality so that federal, state, tribal, and local partners can safely destroy PFAS in firefighting foams." ‒ Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Patrick McDonnell (former Secretary and ECOS President)
PFAS compounds are difficult to destroy because their unique chemical characteristics rely on very strong chemical bonds. EPA is investigating all methods of destroying PFAS. Incineration has been used to treat PFAS-contaminated media, and EPA scientists collaborated with the private sector to evaluate the effectiveness of thermal treatment technologies to completely destroy PFAS. EPA partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense, ECOS/ERIS, Michigan EGLE, and CDPHE in a challenge to identify a non-thermal way of destroying at least 99 percent of PFAS in concentrated aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), a type of firefighting foam, without creating any harmful byproducts. Although PFAS compounds can be found in various waste streams, the challenge was focused on unused AFFF.
The Innovative Ways to Destroy PFAS Challenge was launched in August 2020 and accepted applicants until November 2020. The Judging Panel, composed of EPA scientists, engineers and other technical experts, including subject matter experts from the partners for this Challenge, evaluated the submissions and announced winners in late spring 2021. The agency awarded $40K to the first-place winner and $10K to each of the second-place winners.