Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are a name for many different but related, man-made chemicals. They are the byproduct of fire deterrents and nonstick and waterproof substances. They are referred to as the “forever chemical” by scientists because they don’t break down in the human body. They are a known carcinogenic and since 2015 have stopped being produced. In addition to cancer, PFAS have been linked to fertility, immune system and hormone issues. Through ingestion or inhalation, these chemicals gradually increase in bloodstreams, kidneys and liver.
PFAS have been used by manufacturers in consumer and industrial products since the 1950s.
Aqueous film forming foam, or AFFF, is a fire suppressant used to fight flammable liquid fires. It contains water and other chemicals, including ethylene and propylene glycol, used to extend the life of the foam. Firefighters use AFFF to put out fires that are difficult to fight with just water, especially those involving flammable liquids, such as petroleum. Firefighting training facilities and emergency vehicles, military facilities and ships and shore facilities are some of the places AFFF is used. Not surprisingly, toxic chemicals in some AFFF solutions are thought to increase the risk of serious health issues, such as cancer.
In Sept. 2019, New Hampshire’s legislature banned firefighting foams (SB 257) containing PFAS chemicals, as more and more evidence linked the popular fire suppressant to higher cancer rates among firefighters and drinking water contamination. However, there was no efficient or safe way to get rid of them, which meant fire departments in NH were still holding these banned chemicals in their fire stations.
Enter Revive Environmental out of Ohio. NH is now the first state to contract with Revive Environmental for its new “PFAS Annihilator” technology. Through this new contract, the state is expected to remove and dispose of 10,000 gallons of AFFF through a takeback program with municipal fire departments.
This new technology will use high temperatures and pressure, breaking down the PFAS molecules into smaller and safer byproducts. Expected results are destroyed PFAS in contaminated wastewater, landfill leachate and AFFF. The state will then receive a “certificate of annihilation” from the company.
(Leachate: a product or solution formed by leaching, especially a solution containing contaminants picked up through the leaching of soil.)
The Dept. of Environmental Services (DES) has been working with the NH Fire Marshal’s Office and fire departments to bring about combined pickup sites in each county. From these locations, a waste management service called Heritage-Crystal Clean will bring the AFFF to Revive’s “PFAS Annihilator” mobile technology at a facility in Wyoming, Michigan. Funding for the state’s $668,258 contract with Revive will come from two DES funds, hazardous waste cleanup and emerging contaminants funds.
Revive Environmental looks forward to NH being the first of other states they contract with as the federal PFAS limits are currently in the works by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Way to go, New Hampshire, first in the nation again! This time to safely get rid of “forever chemicals.”
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