Claros' technology breaks the carbon fluorine bonds of PFAS using a photochemical process, which returns the chemicals into their natural basic elements and harmless byproducts.
"We became PFAS detection experts so that we could become destruction experts," said John Brockgreitens, Claros Technologies' VP of research and development
The dangers and scale of the 'forever chemicals' problem are increasingly apparent, but new technologies provide solutions by allowing companies to recycle wastewater into clean water that can be safely reused for drinking, irrigation, and industry, writes John Brockgreitens, vice president of research and development at Claros Technologies.
John Brockgreitens, Vice President of Research & Development for Claros Technologies shares his viewpoints on per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), including the direction of regulations as well as what can and should be done to root out the contaminants for good.
Innovative technologies such as the ones developed and incubated at the University of Minnesota and commercialized by Claros Technologies could destroy PFAS in wastewater and allow for the safe reuse of water.
The Conversation has been looking at these forever chemicals known as PFAS — compounds that do not break down in the environment. We connected with John Brockgreitens, the vice president for research and development at Claros Technologies, about the company’s success with using ultraviolet light to treat PFAS in water.
Recycling water is one of the best hopes for maintaining access to reliable, safe water sources for communities nationwide. Water resilience is increasingly important since climate change is predicted to threaten water availability and water quality. New technologies that provide robust testing, capture and concentration and permanent destruction of PFAS can instill confidence that recycled wastewater can be safely used for drinking, irrigation and watershed restoration without any harm to human or environmental health. John Brockgreitens, Claros Director of Research and Development | Feb 23, 2023
New technologies developed and incubated at the University of Minnesota and now being commercialized by Claros Technologies hold the promise of destroying PFAS, taking the “forever” out of “forever chemicals.”
Several companies, including Claros Technologies in Minnesota, are trying to engineer ways to destroy PFAS chemicals. That's a question researchers and companies across the country are eager to answer, as regulation tightens on PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — and the chemicals' producers face a mountain of lawsuits.
Claros recently published a study in the Journal of Environmental Engineering demonstrating widespread PFAS contamination in laboratory containers, showing hidden challenges in PFAS analysis and destruction.
