Precision tools for targeted PFAS removal in water treatment applications

水质和缺水被认为是高度优先的全球风险，最近的趋势表明，预计到2030年，需求将超过供应40%（世界经济论坛，2019年；世界银行，2019年）。最近，全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质（PFAS）作为一项严峻的全球水质挑战的出现，导致了前所未有的政治和监管动荡。PFAS是一种人造化学品，广泛用于生产不粘炊具、防水纺织品和水性消防泡沫。因此，它们现在在水源和其他环境地点无处不在，对暴露人群构成严重的健康风险（EWG， 2020年）。PFAS与甲状腺疾病、生殖异常和多种癌症有关，而欧洲经济区每年与暴露相关的健康成本估计已达到840亿欧元（北欧部长理事会，2019年）。为了降低暴露风险，新的法规已经实施（在美国、欧盟和澳大利亚以及其他国家相继实施），要求将PFAS处理到几乎无法检测到的水平。这使得公用事业公司和制造公司由于技术差距而无法满足处理要求，因此承担了巨大的责任。传统的处理技术不能有效地应用于PFAS，这就为专注于高效、经济地去除PFAS的创新解决方案带来了空白。这种情况引发了一波诉讼浪潮，2019年，美国几个州对杜邦、科慕和3M等制造商提起了总额达数亿美元的集体诉讼。据估计，仅美国的法律成本就在250亿至400亿美元之间。现在其他地方也开始提起诉讼，比如在澳大利亚，4万名因使用消防泡沫而暴露于PFAS的城镇居民正在起诉政府，这是澳大利亚历史上最大的集体诉讼。Puraffinity是一家位于伦敦的清洁技术初创公司，专门从事环境应用材料的开发。需要先进的设计精密工具，能够有效地采用新的表面改性策略，生产高度优化的吸附剂，用于专用的PFAS去除。Puraffinity打算利用一种新的实时反应监测分析方法来进一步优化其吸附剂材料，这将加速一套高选择性材料的生产，并进行大规模演示。快速生产一套可按速度部署的吸附剂将产生重大影响，其中包括：使公司能够满足法规要求并维持运营，保护公众健康，以及扩大英国公司在高价值全球市场的业务。

Water quality and scarcity are considered high priority global risks, with recent trends showing that demand is expected to outstrip supply by 40% in 2030 (WEF, 2019; World Bank, 2019). Recently, the emergence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as an acute global water quality challenge has led to unprecedented political and regulatory upheaval. PFAS are humanmade chemicals widely used in the production of non-stick cookware, waterproof textiles and aqueous firefighting foams. As such, they are now ubiquitous in water sources and other environmental locations, posing severe health risks to exposed populations (EWG, 2020). PFAS are linked to thyroid disease, reproductive abnormalities, and many types of cancer, whilst annual exposure-related health costs in the EEA are estimated to have already reached €84bn (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2019).To mitigate exposure risks, new regulations have been applied (across the US, EU and Australia with others to follow), requiring that PFAS are treated to nearly non-detectable levels. This has rendered utilities and manufacturing companies bearing huge liabilities as they are unable to meet treatment requirements, due to a technology gap. Conventional treatment technologies cannot be applied to PFAS effectively, generating a void for innovative solutions focussed on removing PFAS efficiently and cost-effectively.The situation has spurred a wave of litigation, and in 2019 several US states filed class action lawsuits amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, against manufacturers including DuPont, Chemours and 3M. Legal costs in the US alone are estimated to range from $25bn to $40bn. Lawsuits are now being issued elsewhere, such as in Australia, where 40,000 residents of towns exposed to PFAS, from use of firefighting foams, are suing the government in the biggest class action lawsuit in Australian history.Puraffinity, a London-based cleantech start-up company, specialises in the development of materials for environmental applications. Advanced design precision tools are required to be able to employ new surface modification strategies effectively for producing highly optimised adsorbents for dedicated PFAS removal. Puraffinity intends to utilise a novel real-time reaction monitoring analytical method to optimise further its adsorbent materials, which will accelerate the production of a suite of highly selective materials to be demonstrated at scale.Rapidly producing a suite of adsorbents that can be deployed at pace will have significant impacts, among which include: enabling companies to meet regulations and sustain operations, protecting public health, and expanding operations of a UK-based company in high-value global markets.