Neutral reference · updated June 2026

PFAS Destruction Technologies & Providers

Every major way to actually destroy PFAS, and the companies building each one, with their commercial stage and known contracts. A factual directory, not a ranking. Where independent testing differs from a vendor's marketing figure, the entry says so.

Destruction is not the same as separation.

PFAS resist breakdown because of the carbon–fluorine bond, one of the strongest in chemistry. Destruction technologies break that bond, mineralizing PFAS into fluoride, CO₂, and salts. Separation technologies, foam fractionation, activated carbon, ion exchange, only pull PFAS out of water and concentrate it into a smaller waste stream that still needs to be destroyed. Both matter, but only one ends the problem. This directory marks which is which.

26 providers listed21 destroy PFAS12 destruction tech operating commercially

Hydrothermal (HALT)Destroys PFAS

AquaggaCommercial / operating

Hydrothermal Alkaline Treatment, hot pressurized water + a strong base (no oxidant) cleaves C–F bonds; subcritical, containerized units.

Contracts / deploymentsColorado (CDPHE Takeback), DoD SERDP-ESTCP, EPA SBIR, 3M, Fairbanks AK airport

Holds the only U.S. state cash-buyback destruction contract (Colorado). Chemistry licensed from Colorado School of Mines. Few continuous plants yet; units leased/sold.

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO)Destroys PFAS

Revive EnvironmentalCommercial / operating

PFAS Annihilator®, water above its critical point (374°C) oxidizes and mineralizes PFAS; closed-loop, non-combustion.

Contracts / deploymentsNew Hampshire, Ohio, New Jersey, DoD/SERDP

Most established operation (5 units 24/7). Independent SERDP evaluation found ~94–97% net destruction vs. the >99.99% marketing figure. Spun out of Battelle.

374WaterCommercial / operating

Morrisville, NC

AirSCWO, supercritical water oxidation completing in seconds to water, minerals and vent gas; modular skids.

Contracts / deploymentsOrlando FL (hub), Olathe KS, Orange County San. CA, U.S. Navy, DoD/DIU, UNC

Publicly traded (NASDAQ: SCWO). FY2025 10-K carries a going-concern warning; most deployments are demo/pilot scale.

General Atomics (GA-EMS)Commercial / operating

Industrial SCWO (PERSES™), supercritical oxidation at ~650°C / 4000 psi; core tech fielded since 2012.

Contracts / deploymentsDoD/DIU-ESTCP, Minnesota demo, EPA verification, U.S. Army ERDC

Strongest independent validation in the field (EPA + ERDC, 98.5–99.999%). ERDC found residual PFAS in a secondary demister stream; high energy use.

Electrochemical oxidationDestroys PFAS

AclarityPilot / demonstration

Electrochemical oxidation (Octa System), current through the liquid generates radicals that mineralize PFAS; mobile + stationary.

Contracts / deploymentsLandfill-leachate full-scale pilot; Hazen / UT-El Paso study

Often cited as a leading electro-oxidation deployer; no named state/DoD operating contract publicly disclosed.

Axine Water TechnologiesCommercial / operating

electraCLEAR, ambient-temperature/pressure electro-oxidation, sold as treatment-as-a-service.

Contracts / deploymentsLacks Enterprises, Grand Rapids MI (first U.S. commercial-scale sale, Oct 2024)

One of the few verified commercial-scale electro-oxidation sales.

Lummus Technology (Zimpro ZEO)Pilot / demonstration

Electrochemical oxidation with boron-doped diamond electrodes; landfill-leachate concentrate.

Contracts / deploymentsLandfill-leachate pilots (99.996% reduction)

Vendor describes 'commercially ready'; no named full-scale customer surfaced.

PlasmaDestroys PFAS

OnvectorPilot / demonstration

Plasma vortex, a stretched plasma arc through a water vortex; paired with upstream concentration.

Contracts / deploymentsDoD ESTCP (2nd contract Nov 2025), Joint Base Cape Cod demo, EPA SBIR

Peer-reviewed results (ACS ES&T Water). Demonstration stage.

DMAX PlasmaPilot / demonstration

Enhanced-contact non-thermal plasma reactor; gas bubbles concentrate PFAS where plasma destroys it.

Contracts / deploymentsEPA SBIR Phase II; DoD ESTCP (Clarkson, mobile AFFF-rinsate)

Clarkson University spinout; named commercial field sites not independently audited.

UV / photochemicalDestroys PFAS

Enspired SolutionsPilot / demonstration

PFASigator. UV-driven photo-activated reductive defluorination releases hydrated electrons that cleave C–F bonds; on-site.

Contracts / deploymentsDoD ($1.2M grant, Tyndall AFB FL), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Commercial-scale equipment built; field record to date is pilot/demo.

Claros TechnologiesCommercial / operating

Minneapolis, MN

ClarosTechUV, proprietary UV-photochemical destruction; claims >99.99% including ultra-short-chain.

Contracts / deploymentsDaikin America, Decatur AL (>170,000 gal optimization run)

Largest validation is private-sector; no state/DoD contract found.

Haley & Aldrich (EradiFluor)Pilot / demonstration

National (mobile units)

UV / sulfite advanced reduction (hydrated electrons) on mobile trailers; developed with UC Riverside.

Contracts / deploymentsU.S. Navy facility field test (2024)

Treats foam-fractionation concentrate; specific base names not public.

Incineration / thermalDestroys PFAS

Clean Harbors (Arcwood)Commercial / operating

Rotary-kiln hazardous-waste incineration (~1,000°C+); burns AFFF concentrate.

Contracts / deploymentsWashington takeback disposal; sites Aragonite UT, Kimball NE, Deer Park TX, El Dorado AR

Sept 2025 EPA+DoD study reported >99.9999% destruction, the strongest thermal dataset, but EPA still declines to universally confirm incineration destroys PFAS (PIC/stack-emission uncertainty).

Veolia North AmericaCommercial / operating

Port Arthur, TX

High-temperature hazardous-waste incineration; tested on AFFF, soil and spent GAC.

Contracts / deployments30+ PFAS sites; UK AFFF treatment ahead of 2025 ban

Third-party 2024 testing reported >99% destruction (OTM-45/50). No named DoD/state AFFF contract found.

Heritage Thermal ServicesCommercial / operating

East Liverpool, OH

Rotary-kiln incineration; has burned AFFF since 2019.

Contracts / deployments2019 DoD AFFF contract (quashed by 2020 litigation settlement)

Heavily contested, a peer-reviewed study found PFAS in all 35 surrounding soil samples. Environmental-justice flashpoint.

Norlite (Tradebe)Commercial / operating

Aggregate kiln that co-burned AFFF ~2018–2019.

Contracts / deploymentsNo longer permitted to burn AFFF (NY statewide ban, 2020)

Failed verification. AFFF-type PFAS found in surrounding soil. Listed for the record; not a viable destruction route.

Pyrolysis / gasificationDestroys PFAS

BioforcetechCommercial / operating

Oxygen-free pyrolysis of biosolids + downstream thermal oxidizer → biochar.

Contracts / deploymentsMunicipal biosolids installs (not AFFF)

Independent testing reported 99.98% removal across output streams. Handles biosolids/sludge, not concentrated firefighting foam.

Aries Clean TechnologiesCommercial / operating

Fluidized-bed gasification of biosolids → bio-ash + energy.

Contracts / deploymentsLinden NJ; Sanford ME (biosolids)

Third-party validation reported ~97% PFAS elimination. Biosolids, not AFFF.

Calgon Carbon (Kuraray)Commercial / operating

Thermal reactivation of spent granular activated carbon (~1,750°F) with off-gas abatement.

Contracts / deploymentsIncumbent for spent-GAC reactivation nationwide

Destroys PFAS captured on carbon (the dominant water-treatment media). ~17 reactivation facilities nationally; few PFAS-permitted.

Electron beam / mechanochemical / labDestroys PFAS

Fermilab + 3M (electron beam)Pilot / demonstration

Particle accelerator fires high-energy electrons into PFAS water; radicals cleave C–F bonds.

Contracts / deploymentsDOE EERE; 3M partner

Proof-of-concept complete (destroyed PFOA/PFOS).

EDL, mechanochemical ball millingResearch / lab

High-energy ball milling grinds PFAS-laden solids; collisions cleave C–F bonds at ambient conditions.

Contracts / deploymentsNZ Defence Force firefighting-site soil (lab proof-of-concept)

99.88–100% in lab soil tests; containerized 'tons/hour' reactors are a company claim. Scale-up unproven.

Northwestern (Dichtel). KOH/DMSOResearch / lab

Mild-temperature (80–120°C) chemical degradation; decarboxylation then defluorination.

Contracts / deploymentsAcademic (Science, 2022)

Destroys the carboxylic-acid family only, not sulfonates (PFOS). Lab-stage.

Separation / concentration (does not destroy)Does not destroy

EPOC Enviro / OPEC Systems (SAFF)Commercial / operating

Australia / U.S.

Surface Active Foam Fractionation, bubbles strip PFAS into a concentrated foamate. Separation only.

Contracts / deploymentsAustralian Dept. of Defence (Oakey QLD, since 2019); 24 sites globally

Explicitly 'enables destruction by third-party technologies', the foamate still needs a destruction step.

ECT2 / Onterris (Montrose)Commercial / operating

Regenerable ion exchange + GAC; concentrates PFAS into a small still-bottoms stream.

Contracts / deploymentsWidely deployed for water treatment

Markets resin as a 'bridge to destruction.' Concentrate still requires destroying.

Calgon Carbon (GAC media)Commercial / operating

Granular activated carbon adsorbs PFAS from water; the loaded carbon is the waste.

Contracts / deployments9-yr, 10-state American Water supply deal (Jan 2025)

Adsorption only; spent carbon goes to reactivation/destruction (see thermal entry).

CyclopureCommercial / operating

DEXSORB engineered cyclodextrin adsorbent + mail-in testing; captures PFAS from water.

Contracts / deploymentsConsumer + municipal water

Adsorption/testing; concentrate requires downstream destruction.