Forever Chemicals Removal
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Contaminant Process Navigation
SummaryDataReferences
Summary
Date of Last Literature Search: May 2023Summary:
Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from water using membrane separation was found to be quite effective. Bench [2163, 2173, 2423, 2441, 2514, 2524, 2530, 2547, 2610, 2642, 2647, 2650, 2653, 2836, 2850], pilot [2567, 2568, 2569, 2571, 2573, 2624, 2642, 2647, 2649, 2651, 2653, 2658], and full-scale [2175, 2424, 2428, 2441, 2509, 2651, 2658] studies evaluating several types of nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes achieved PFAS removals of up to greater than 99 percent. Point-of-use RO devices also obtained high removals [2430, 2567].
For specific PFASs, results include:
- Up to greater than 99.9 percent removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
- Up to greater than 99.3 percent removal of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)
- Up to 99 percent removal of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Up to 99.8 percent removal of perfluorobutyl sulfonate (PFBS)
- Up to greater than 99 percent removal of perfluorohexyl sulfonate (PFHxS)
- Up to greater than 99 percent removal for HFPO-DA (commonly known as GenX)
- Up to 99.9 percent removal of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA)
- Up to greater than 99 percent removal of perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA)
- Greater than 97.5 percent removal of perfluoropentanesulfonic acid (PFPeS)
- Up to greater than 99 percent removal of perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA)
- Up to greater than 99 percent removal of perfluorohexyl sulfonate (PFHxS)
- Up to 99 percent removal of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA)
- Up to 99 percent removal of perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA)
- Up to greater than 99 percent removal of perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA)
- Up to 99 percent removal of perfluorodecyl sulfonate (PFDS)
- Up to 99 percent removal of perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnA)
- Up to greater than 87 percent removal of perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA)
- Up to greater than 80 percent removal of perfluoro-3,5-dioxahexanoic acid (PFO2HxA)
- From low influent levels to below limits of quantitation for perfluoro-3,5,7-trioxaoctanoic acid (PFO3OA)
- Up to 98.5 percent removal of perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA)
- Up to 98.5 percent removal of difluoro(perfluoromethoxy)acetic acid, also known as perfluoro-2-methoxyacetic acid (PFMOAA)
- Up to greater than 99 percent removal of fluorotelomer sulfonate 6:2 (FtS 6:2)
- From very low influent levels to below limits of quantitation for 2-(N-Ethyl-perfluorooctanesulfonamido)acetate (N-EtFOSAA)
- Up to greater than 84 percent removal for 2-(N-Methylperfluorooctanesulfonamido)acetate (N-MeFOSAA)
Last updated on July 1, 2025
Scan for EPA Website on PFOA's