Inside a 20-foot CONEX box, similar to a shipping container, is Revive Environmental’s PFAS Annihilator.
“This is a reactor, and these are the heating elements in the pressurizing system to bring it to super-critical state.”
Innovators from Columbus-based Battelle, specializing in scientific solutions, brought the technology to market.
“That’s the heartbeat of the system.”
“These heating elements, there are three of these, they almost look like the size of a casket.”
“They do. There’s insulation. The casing on there is because it operates at 3,200 PSI.”
James Rosendall is Heritage-Crystal Clean Special Projects Manager. He tells me extreme heating and that 3,200 pounds of force per square inch is breaking apart per- and polyfluoroalkyl molecules separating the fluorine bond.
“What comes out of here is water, carbon dioxide, and inert salts. It is clean.”
A closed loop solution, Heritage-Crystal Clean exclusively distributes and operates what’s called the 4never system. A four-company partnership formed by Crystal Clean, Revive, along with the Surface Active Foam Fractionation manufacturer and distributor Allonnia and EPOC Enviro. Before reaching the Annihilator, contaminated water receives foam fractionation treatment.
“See the foam coming out the top. As that aerates PFAS molecule will grab onto the air bubbles."
For every1,000 gallons of contaminated water, the vacuum system sucks up the bubbles converting it into10 gallons of PFAS prepped for annihilation.
I ask what is done with and where does it go?
“So, from here it will go into our wastewater system just for a secondary treatment and then gets discharged to the local POTW.”
How amazing is that in your mind?
“Five years ago, I would have never dreamed of something like this. And to be here and be one of the first in North America with the first commercial operation, it’s pretty incredible.”
