Veolia has brought its end-to-end per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) treatment program to Australia, following a global launch late last year.
The BeyondPFAS solution was unveiled locally on 5 June to coincide with World Environment Day.
PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, can be found in everything from waterproof fabrics, food packaging, Teflon pots and pans, to cosmetics, firefighting foams and electrical cable insulation.
Veolia’s BeyondPFAS range of technologies detects PFAS contamination, treats affected soil and water, and manages disposal of the contaminated materials by thermal treatment, physical-chemical removal or in special landfill depositories.
A track record of PFAS management in Australia
Even before the rollout of the latest program here, Veolia says it has been tackling PFAS in Australia for several years.
It claims to have already treated 75 million litres of PFAS-contaminated water and managed 200,000 tonnes of contaminated soil.
In 2018, Veolia’s Brooklyn facility in Victoria was the first to receive Environment Protection Authority (EPA) licensing for treating PFAS-impacted wastewater.
Facilities like Veolia’s thermal desorption plant, EarthSure, a joint venture with Ventia in Victoria, can treat PFAS-contaminated soil and render it reusable.
Veolia also has portable technology capable of treating up to 70 percent of PFAS-contaminated water on site, reducing the need for off-site processing.
Worldwide, it has treated over 91 billion litres of PFAS-contaminated water. In Australia, the company says it has installed water treatment plants on 16 PFAS-contaminated sites, purifying it to a level where the water could be released back into the environment.
The company says it has even treated fire training water to the point where it meets Australian Drinking Water Guideline Standards.
“BeyondPFAS will extend Veolia’s approach to PFAS, which now includes everything from initial testing to final disposal, offering more proven end-to-end solutions for affected sites across the country,” Veolia ANZ CEO Richard Kirkman said.
“We have already demonstrated that our proven end-to-end technologies can meet the stricter PFAS regulations in the United States. We can get the job done and move beyond the PFAS era in Australia.”
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