Monthly Archives: April 2026

This Earth Day, one environmental issue demands urgent attention from the scientific and filtration communities: the global rise of PFAS contamination and the role our industry plays in addressing it.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — including well-known compounds like PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) — are a class of synthetic chemicals derived from fluorinated hydrocarbons. Because the carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest in organic chemistry, PFAS persist indefinitely in the environment, earning them the name “forever chemicals.” 

Global plastic production now exceeds 460 million tons per year, and microplastics are now being detected everywhere from oceans to human tissue. In filtration and membrane science, this is not an abstract issue. It is something that is measured, tracked, and increasingly studied. As the research continues to develop tools to assess the impact on human health and the environment, it is reasonable to also examine what is happening on the materials side. 

Desalination removes salt and other minerals from water, producing two primary streams: freshwater and brine. As desalination capacity grows, effective brine management is becoming essential to reduce environmental impact and improve overall water recovery.