We encounter perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS for short) in many different ways in everyday life. They have no natural origin and, due to their high thermal and chemical stability, can only be degraded poorly or in some cases not at all in nature or by the body. The proven harmful effects of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds are therefore particularly problematic, not least because they are suspected of being carcinogenic.
However, due to their water-, grease- and dirt-repellent properties and their extreme resistance and durability, PFAS are widely used worldwide, for example in the textile industry, in the manufacture of water-repellent and breathable clothing, in the paper and cosmetics industry, or as a component of lubricants and impregnating agents. Due to their wide range of uses, perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds can easily enter the groundwater via natural processes and be absorbed by humans, among other things.
The broad portfolio of Schauenburg MAB in the field of soil treatment and washing offers solutions to counteract the contamination by PFAS. Schauenburg MAB offers various applications and products for wet mechanical processing and soil washing. With their use, pollution of the environment by PFAS can be effectively reduced. The main components here are the hydrosort (linking), hydrocyclones in various sizes, wear-resistant centrifugal pumps, attrition cells, washing and refining drums and screening machines.
PFAS can be almost completely washed out of the soil under their use and transferred to the aqueous phase. The process water produced during cleaning is recycled in the next step. It consists of fine solids and dissolved contaminants, which are clarified. The thickened sludge is dewatered by centrifuges or chamber filter presses. The PFAS concentration in the solids-free process water can be reduced using multi-stage filtration technology. The reprocessed and purified process water can be reintroduced into the water cycle and thus reused for the washing plant.
In addition to the reuse of the treated process water, the cleaned soil can also be reintroduced. Harmful contaminations once inflicted on the environment can be reversed with the use of Schauenburg equipment and solutions, thus making an environmentally friendly and sustainable contribution.
