PFAS (Forever Chemicals) in Your Water — And How the Right Filter Can Help
What Are PFAS?
Per‑ and poly‑fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), informally known as “forever chemicals”, are extremely persistent synthetic compounds first developed in the 1930s and widely adopted in products such as non‑stick cookware, firefighting foams, waterproof fabrics, food packaging and stain‑resistant materials The Guardian+3UNSW Sites+3UNSW Sites+3The Guardian+8UNSW Sites+8Wikipedia+8. These compounds resist heat, grease and water—properties that unfortunately make them highly persistent in the environment and the human body Wikipedia.
Health concerns linked to PFAS exposure include elevated cholesterol, compromised immune response, thyroid dysfunction, impaired kidney function, reproductive issues, developmental delays, and various cancers News.com.au+4Wikipedia+4UNSW Sites+4.
PFAS in Sydney’s Tap Water
Recent research from UNSW Sydney has revealed that a greater variety of PFAS are present in Sydney tap water than previously recognised UNSW Sites+5UNSW Sites+5UNSW Sites+5. While I was unable to open the full article directly, it aligns with a pattern of global PFAS contamination noted in UNSW‑led studies, which found that much of the world’s surface and groundwater exceeds safe PFAS drinking limits UNSW Sites+2The Guardian+2.
This emerging evidence indicates the urgent need for effective water filtration solutions capable of removing PFAS reliably—especially for residents in Sydney and wider New South Wales.
Why Standard Home Water Treatment Often Falls Short
Many conventional water treatment and filtration methods—such as sedimentation, coagulation, or simple carbon filtration—are ineffective against PFAS due to their small molecular size, stability, and chemical resistance TranscendWikipedia.
To actually reduce PFAS levels, certain specialised technologies are recognised by authoritative sources such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as being effective:
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Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
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Ion‑Exchange Resins
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Reverse Osmosis (RO)
These are currently considered “Best Available Technologies” for PFAS removal - Whole House Water Filters.
Other promising and emerging techniques include:
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Nanofiltration and Membrane Processes US EPA+1
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Adsorption media such as biochar, anion exchange, metal‑organic frameworks (MOFs) Wikipedia
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Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO) — near‑complete destruction (~99 %) of PFAS through high‑temperature and pressure processing UNSW Sites+2Wikipedia+2
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Advanced catalytic and plasma methods, still largely in lab or pilot phase (e.g., cold atmospheric‑pressure plasma jets, electrochemical oxidation, graphene‑sponge electrodes) arXiv+1.
Making Sense of Filtration Choices: A Quick Guide
Here is a decision framework for households or businesses seeking PFAS filtration:
| Concern Profile | Recommended Approach | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-sensitive, general PFAS reduction | Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) | Affordable but requires regular maintenance The Guardian+5News.com.au+5The Guardian+5Wikipedia+3News.com.au+3UNSW Sites+3 |
| Need for short-chain PFAS removal | Combine GAC with Ion-Exchange | Improves removal of more challenging PFAS PFASClearly Filtered |
| Maximum removal (99 %+) | Reverse Osmosis (RO) | Most effective but more expensive and water is wasted (~4 L rejected per 1 L produced) Clearly Filtered |
| High-performance, advanced solutions | Consider MOFs, SCWO, or emerging plasma/ catalytic systems | Promising, but often not yet available for domestic systems New York PostWikipediaarXiv+1 |
Why This Matters: Australian Regulations are Shifting
Australia’s current health‑based guideline value (HBGV) for PFOA is much higher than in other countries—560 ng/L versus 4 ng/L proposed by the U.S. EPA The Guardian. The upcoming 2025 revisions to the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines may lower PFAS limits, increasing pressure on utilities to adopt stronger treatment processes UNSW Sites+9News.com.au+9The Guardian+9.
For example, in response to PFAS detection in the Blue Mountains, NSW has invested $3.5 million to install GAC and ion‑exchange technology at the Cascade Filtration Plant—due for commissioning by end‑2024 News.com.au.
Watch and Learn: Visual Insight from UNSW
Engineering the Future podcast‑ PFAS – the “Forever Chemicals”
This UNSW podcast (29 July 2025) features Professors Denis O’Carroll and Andrew Mitchell offering accessible explanations of PFAS chemistry, the challenges in remediation, persistence in the environment, and engineering solutions underway in NSW UNSW Sites+1.
Your Take-Away: How a PFAS Water Filter Can Protect Your Customers
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Identify effective technologies: Promote systems using GAC, ion-exchange or RO—emphasise the evidence-backed removal of PFAS.
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Educate consumers: Explain why not all filters remove PFAS, outline performance differences, and reinforce maintenance importance.
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Local relevance: Highlight Sydney’s emerging PFAS issues, regulatory shifts, and UNSW insights to increase trust and relevance.
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Brand positioning: Show that your company offers scientifically validated, high-performance solutions tailored to evolve with guidelines.
