CycloPure is developing novel, high-affinity cyclodextrin polymers for the cost-effective remediation of hazardous
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) from water. Decades of use of perfluorinated chemicals in
manufacturing (plastics, Teflon, Scotchgard) and in aqueous film-forming foam formulations used at airports and
military bases has led to widespread prevalence in water resources, affecting water supplies serving at least
16.5 million customers. Toxic at low concentration, with confirmed links to a number of serious illnesses, including
thyroid disease and several cancers, PFAS contamination of drinking water represents a significant public health
concern. In response to water supply closures across the Northeast during the past 18 months, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency recently lowered its health advisory level for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)
and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) from 400 ppt to 70 ppt, a six-fold decrease. Separately, numerous States
have adopted or are considering significantly lower health advisory levels, including Pennsylvania at 6 ppt.
Although many technologies have been explored for remediation of PFOA- and PFOS-contaminated water,
adsorption-based methods using activated carbon remain the most widely used approach. However, activated
carbon has notable shortcomings including susceptibility to fouling by natural organic matter, energy-intensive
regeneration process, and most importantly low affinities which result in the need for significantly large amounts
of material to achieve desired levels of removal. Designing adsorbents that address these deficiencies is critical
in the development of efficient and cost-effective processes in the remediation of PFOA and PFOS. Leveraging
the flexibility of its cyclodextrin-based technology platform, CycloPure’s ongoing research efforts on PFAS
removal are focused on developing bio-derived polymer adsorbents with high affinities for PFOA and PFOS in
water to provide a superior remediation solution. The long-term goal of this project is to act on these strengths
and develop a commercially viable process for the remediation of PFOA- and PFOS-contaminated water
resources. The objective for Phase I is the development and screening of new polymer derivatives with high
affinity for PFOA and PFOS that can be cost-effectively produced in large scale. This Phase I study is structured
around three Specific Aims: (1) optimization of reaction parameters to develop a scalable polymerization
process, (2) development of new polymers by tailoring the chemical nature of cyclodextrins and crosslinkers,
and (3) characterization of adsorption parameters of these polymers for PFOA and PFOS. These research aims
will produce the most technically superior polymer formulation(s) for PFOA/PFOS remediation, and provide the
basis for their further development and testing under a Phase II proposal. CycloPure’s PFAS remediation
technology has the potential to outperform conventional treatment processes and provide effective solutions for
impacted communities to access clean and safe water.
