ClarosTechUV™ delivers industrial-scale performance under complex remediation conditions using PFAS concentrate from the Lake Elmo site in Minnesota
/PRNewswire/ — Claros Technologies, Inc. (Claros), a leader in PFAS decomposition technologies, today announced results of a new study demonstrating ≥99.99% decomposition of target compounds (PFOS and PFOA) using its ClarosTechUV™ system in groundwater samples from a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) remediation site in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
The MPCA provided Claros with a foam fractionation concentrate obtained from the treatment of approximately one million gallons of contaminated ground and surface water; the result was a highly concentrated PFAS matrix with elevated levels of PFOS, PFOA and other short and ultra-short chain compounds.
The study evaluated ClarosTechUV™ as part of an integrated treatment system applied to this low transparency water matrix, which is characterized by significant turbidity and near-zero UV transmittance in its raw form – conditions that reflect real-world remediation environments rather than controlled laboratory conditions.
At commercial scale, ClarosTechUV™ achieved ≥99.99% destruction of filtered concentrate in just four hours, while demonstrating consistent performance in small-scale, laboratory and commercial scale systems. The volume of concentrate treated in the commercial system came from approximately 600,000 gallons of groundwater, highlighting the system’s relevance to large-scale remediation efforts.
The white paper and full technical summary are available here.
Validation of performance under real-world conditions
Building on previous deployments at industrial sites, including a 170,000 gallon (~640,000 liter) commercial optimization run in collaboration with Daikin America – one of the largest on-site PFAS degradation trials to date – this study focused on subsystem-level performance where ClarosTechUV™ can be combined with capture and concentration technologies for on-site degradation. With this study, ClarosTechUV™ increases the total volume of PFAS-contaminated water treated to over 1,000,000 gallons (approximately 3.8 million liters) in laboratory, pilot and commercial deployments.
“This pilot demonstrates that ClarosTechUV™ is designed for on-site realities,” said Michelle Bellanca, CEO of Claros Technologies. “Whether the water is clean or highly complex, has low transparency or is heavily contaminated with PFAS, our system adapts and delivers a consistent, highly effective degradation response. This reliability – under all conditions – is what ultimately enables large-scale, sustained PFAS degradation,” Bellanca added. “It also opens up a whole new category for Claros in treating contaminated groundwater and remediating sites on a large scale.”
Analytical validation confirms mineralization
Samples were analyzed by ClarosLabs™ using a modified EPA-1633 method for specific compounds including PFOS and PFOA. Total organic fluorine results were determined using combustion ion chromatography (CIC).
The results showed a reduction of approximately 88% in total organic fluorine after treatment with a corresponding increase in inorganic fluoride, confirming the conversion of PFAS into mineralized end products.
“This pilot demonstrates that ClarosTechUV™ maintains its performance when scaled and integrated into upstream processes,” said John Brockgreitens, co-founder and vice president of product development at Claros Technologies. “That’s what transforms this solution from a laboratory solution into something that can be used at scale,” he added. “Even highly complex water matrices can be treated effectively with this system.”
Scalable, cost-effective PFAS destruction
Pilot project results at MPCA’s Lake Elmo site also demonstrate strong energy and cost efficiencies: at commercial scale, ≥99.99% PFOS and PFOA destruction was achieved in four hours, with energy consumption of less than 200 Wh/L and operating costs of approximately US$0.015 per 1,000 gallons (US$0.004 per cubic meter) of untreated groundwater.
“When you achieve this level of cost efficiency, the equation completely changes,” said Lucas Harvey, global head of sales at Claros Technologies. “There is now a strong incentive for remediation agencies and others to shift to solutions that actually destroy PFAS rather than simply manage them.”
Information about Claros Technologies
Founded in 2018 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA), Claros is a global leader in PFAS mitigation with two core business areas. The ClarosTech™ division focuses exclusively on the permanent destruction of PFAS, providing affordable, scalable and practical systems that eliminate long, short and ultra-short chain compounds with 99.99% efficiency. ClarosLabs™, the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited analytical division, is a leading commercial laboratory specializing in the detection, quantification and exposure assessment of PFAS. Claros is committed to removing PFAS from the environment. Claros destroys PFAS – forever.
For more information, visit www.clarostech.com.
Media contact
Kari Finkler
Claros Technologies
[emailprotected]
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