PFOA and PFOS In Water-What they are and How to remove?

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PFOA and PFOS In Water-What they are and How to
remove?
INTEC AMERICA
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PFOA and PFOS Overview
PFOA and PFOS belong to Perfluorinated alkylated
substances PFAS group of chemicals. The PFOA
stands for Perfluorooctanoic acid, whereas PFOS
stands for Perfluorooctane sulfonate. They have
ability to repel water and oil. These artificial
chemicals are used in several industrial
applications and products. E.g. non-stick
cookware, food wraps, stain repellents, and fire
repellent foams which possess a heavy dose of
PFOA and PFOS. These chemicals eventually make
their way into our water resources due to
insufficient collection and industrial water
disposal methods. These chemicals have adverse
effect on human health if consumed and found in
drinking water.
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What is PFOA?
It is manmade chemical. Youll find it in product
that resist sticking, heat, stains, and grease.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been a
manufactured perfluorochemical and a byproduct in
producing fluoropolymers. Perfluorochemicals
(PFCs) are group of chemicals used to make
fluoropolymer coatings and products which resist
heat, oil, stains, grease and water.
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What is PFOS?
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is one of a
group of related chemicals known as
perfluorinated alkylated substances (PFAS). These
are also called perfluorochemicals (PFCs). This
group of chemicals is commonly used in a wide
range of industrial processes and is found in
many consumer products. PFOS has been used in
stain-resistant fabrics, fire-fighting foams,
food packaging, and as a surfactant in industrial
processes.
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How PFOA and PFOS occur in water?
These chemicals are released into natural water
sources via industrial or domestic wastewater
disposal. Also, the use of commercial products
with these chemicals releases these chemicals
into the environment. Thus, they are found in
soil, air, surface water, ground water, drinking
water, etc. Consumption of drinking water with
contaminated PFOA and PFOS is proven hazardous
for human health. Therefore, the organizations
like The United States Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), The Water Research Foundation, and
a few organizations recommended the removal of
these contaminants from drinking water.
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What Are the Hazards of Having PFOA and PFOS In
Drinking Water?

• The following adverse effects of the presence of
  PFOA and PFOS in drinking water and its
  consumption are addressed by EPA.
• Liver damage
• Cholesterol fluctuations and thyroid
• Testicular cancer or kidney cancer
• Developmental abnormality to infants if consumed
  by their mother during pregnancy.
• Accelerated puberty, less birth weight, and
  skeletal variations, etc. are common hazards to
  infants.

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How to remove PFOA and PFOS from water?
According to the studies of EPA, PFOA and PFOS
resist the filtration via most of the
conventional chemical and microbial filtration
techniques. However, the following are three
techniques that are proven effective in the
removal of PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
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How to remove PFOA and PFOS?
Carbon Filtration
Reverse Osmosis
Ion Exchange
Activated carbon is known for attracting chemical
contaminants in water. When PFOA and PFOS
contaminated water passes through the activated
carbon filter, the carbon granules trap the
micro-contaminants like dissolved chemicals. This
a moderately effective method to remove these
chemicals from water.
Reverse osmosis (RO) is an effective method of
micro-filtration. It is known for the removal of
ions, chemicals, and micro-sediment filtration
via a semipermeable membrane. Commonly, the
reverse osmosis technology is a very effective
treatment of drinking water to remove PFOA and
PFOS.
Ion exchange or ionization is a highly effective
method of PFOS removal, moderately effective at
PFOA removal, and failed in its ability to remove
many PFAS. Some newer resins work better using
both ion exchange and absorption properties. In
this process, the charged resin attracts specific
chemical contamination that attach to the surface
or are absorbed into the resin resulting in a
reduction of PFOA and PFOS ions.
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Products
Now that you know how to remove PFOA from
drinking water as discussed, you must know that
the quality of water purification equipment
enhances the quality of water. Therefore, one
must source the equipment from prominent
companies like Intec America. This US-based
company has been offering water treatment
solutions such as copper ionization systems to
its clients since 1973. They are one of the first
few companies to commercialize the NASA-developed
water treatment systems. The experience,
expertise, and technology selection Intec America
offer prove them to be an ideal partner to source
your advanced water treatment systems for the
removal of PFOA and PFOS in drinking water.
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Contact us
E-mail
steve.mccune_at_intec-america.com
Website
www.intec-america.com/
Phone
[phone]
PO Box 505,Franklinton, LA 70438
Address