Veolia Reports Up to 99.9999% PFAS Destruction Rate in UK Tests

Veolia has reported destruction and removal efficiencies of up to 99.9999% for nine targeted per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, during testing at its high-temperature incineration facility in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.

The results add to growing evidence that carefully controlled high-temperature incineration can provide a route for destroying concentrated PFAS waste, an increasingly important issue as governments restrict the use of the chemicals and businesses face growing volumes of contaminated material requiring disposal.

According to Veolia, the testing covered nine PFAS compounds, including some of the most closely regulated substances in the group: PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS. Other compounds tested included 6:2 FTS, PFBA, PFPeA, PFHxA, PFHpA and PFNA.

The company reported destruction and removal efficiency, or DRE, of up to 99.9999%. The distinction is important because DRE measures the reduction in the amount of a targeted compound between material entering a treatment system and material detected in specified outputs. It should not automatically be interpreted as proof that every fluorinated compound entering the process has been completely mineralized.

Veolia said its testing followed the US Environmental Protection Agency's OTM-45 and OTM-50 methods. OTM-45 is designed to measure selected semi-volatile and particle-bound PFAS in emissions from stationary sources, while OTM-50 focuses on volatile fluorinated compounds.

The tests were carried out at Veolia's hazardous waste high-temperature incinerator in Ellesmere Port. The company says the results demonstrate the facility's ability to treat PFAS-containing waste, including stocks of aqueous film-forming foam, commonly known as AFFF, previously used extensively for fighting liquid-fuel fires.

Firefighting Foam Creates a Growing Disposal Challenge

PFAS have been used for decades across industrial and consumer applications because of their resistance to heat, water, oils and chemicals. Applications range from firefighting foams and protective coatings to manufacturing processes and specialized equipment.

Those same chemical properties make many PFAS extremely persistent once released into the environment, creating challenges for contaminated soil and water management.

In the UK, a significant source of concentrated PFAS waste is firefighting foam. An exemption allowing certain uses of firefighting foam containing PFOA ended in July 2025, with use of those foams and contaminated systems prohibited from 5 July 2025. UK guidance requires waste containing regulated persistent organic pollutants to be destroyed or irreversibly transformed rather than recycled or reused.

Veolia says its Ellesmere Port facility has the capability to support the destruction of an estimated 10,000-tonne stockpile of AFFF fire suppressants.

For organizations holding legacy foam, the regulatory change creates a practical waste-management challenge. Airports, industrial facilities, fire services, fuel terminals and other operators may need to identify PFAS-containing stocks, replace affected products and arrange compliant treatment of both unused foam and potentially contaminated equipment.

High-Temperature Incineration Remains Important But Complex

The Environment Agency published a detailed assessment of PFAS incineration and alternative remediation technologies in September 2025. It concluded that high-temperature incineration remains the only proven method available for large-scale PFAS destruction, although treatment must operate under tightly controlled conditions to achieve reliable results.

The agency also highlighted areas requiring further research, including operating temperatures, residence times, emissions monitoring and the potential formation of products of incomplete combustion.

This means PFAS management cannot be considered simply as a question of directing contaminated waste to any conventional incinerator. Treatment performance depends on the characteristics of the facility, operating conditions and the ability to monitor both the original PFAS compounds and potentially harmful breakdown products.

Veolia has previously said its PFAS treatment process operates at temperatures above 900°C and is being deployed across hazardous waste incineration lines in several European countries. The company introduced its patented Drop technology as part of its broader BeyondPFAS treatment offering in 2025.

UK Policy is Moving Toward Tighter PFAS Management

The development also comes as PFAS regulation becomes more prominent in UK environmental policy.

In February 2026, the UK government published its first cross-government PFAS Plan, covering the identification of PFAS sources, pathways through the environment and measures intended to reduce exposure. The plan includes further work on PFAS-containing waste and an assessment of appropriate destruction and disposal methods.

The Health and Safety Executive is also considering a broader UK REACH restriction covering PFAS in firefighting foams. As of August 2026, a socioeconomic consultation on the proposal is open until 7 September.

International obligations are also shaping the UK's approach. PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS are among the PFAS addressed under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, while additional long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids were agreed for global elimination under the convention in 2025.

For waste operators and industries using PFAS-containing materials, these developments point toward increasing demand for traceability, segregation and verified destruction routes.

The implications extend beyond firefighting foam. As additional PFAS applications are restricted, waste streams containing contaminated chemicals, equipment, filtration media, soils and process residues will need appropriate end-of-life treatment.

Veolia estimates that the global market for PFAS concentration and destruction technologies could reach $8 billion by 2036, although the figure represents a company-cited market forecast rather than an official government projection.

For regulators and industry, the central challenge will be ensuring that rising demand for PFAS destruction is matched by sufficient treatment capacity, reliable analytical methods and evidence that destruction technologies prevent the transfer of persistent fluorinated compounds from one environmental pathway to another.

Veolia's latest Ellesmere Port results provide another data point supporting high-temperature treatment for concentrated PFAS waste. They also underline a wider transition already underway: restrictions on PFAS increasingly need to be accompanied by credible systems for managing the legacy chemicals left behind.

Source:

www.plasticsnews.com

www.veolia.co.uk