Revised guidance has been issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the destruction and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). According to the agency, “This updated guidance identifies approaches to manage PFAS waste using the best available gold-standard science, so communities across the country can be confident that these chemicals are being managed, disposed of and destroyed in ways that safeguard their health and their environment.”

These “forever” chemicals break down very slowly over time and persist in the environment, underscoring the need to destroy or disposed of them in a safe way that mitigates risks to nearby communities. EPA recommends technologies with the lowest potential for releasing PFAS to the environment based on site-specific conditions, including three existing technologies noted for having lower potential for environmental release of PFAS than other technologies.

The methods advocated encompass using Class I underground injection wells for long-term waste storage and disposing PFAS in Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulated hazardous waste landfills. The use of hazardous waste combustors that operate under specific conditions to destroy PFAS and minimize harmful byproducts and air emissions is also endorsed. These include commercial incinerators, cement kilns, and lightweight aggregate kilns and granular activated carbon reactivation units with thermal oxidizers that can operate under conditions more conducive to destroying PFAS and controlling related products of incomplete combustion.