The nanobubble ozone technology, or NBOT, coupled with ultraviolet (UV) light is now a U.S. patent protected process useful in destroying the forever chemicals, per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS). PFAS chemicals are used in many products that humans use daily, including food packaging, adhesives, and non-stick cooking surfaces, and often leach into soils and water bodies. In fact, these harmful chemicals are present in most drinking water sources and cannot be filtered out with traditional treatment systems. This new patent technology is scalable and configurable, opening the door for municipal water treatment facilities to implement the system to meet their high-volume needs.
The nanobubbles in NBOT are ultrafine microbubbles that scientists impregnate with a compound (ozone in this instance) and release into an environment. Ozone is a highly reactive molecule composed of three oxygen elements. Its unstable nature allows it to react with and bond to other molecules, breaking up the toxic bonds and forming new, stable bonds within the environment where it is released. This process has been proven successful in controlling algae, bacteria, and zooplankton in ship ballast water.
For the purpose of destroying PFAS, NCCOS scientists have built upon the NBOT process. Ozone on its own is not strong enough to break the bonds of PFAS compounds, which are composed of carbon and fluorine – the strongest bond in organic chemistry. Scientists apply properly tuned UV light as an added energy source coupled to NBOT to destroy the carbon-fluorine bond. Once broken, fluorine bonds to itself creating fluorine gas, while carbon bonds to oxygen creating carbon dioxide gas. Both release into the air as nontoxic gasses.
NCCOS scientists are working with Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) partner, American Marine University Research Institute–who provides the equipment needed to accompany the scientific expertise to accomplish this task. This newly patented method is now highly desired by municipal water treatment facilities. The team has plans to begin a pilot project to apply the technology at a large-scale facility.
This work is part of an ongoing project to destroy PFAS in drinking water.
