New study out of the U.S. EPA conducted in concert with DoD and Clean Harbors proves effectiveness.
For years, PFAS (“forever chemicals”) have posed a growing public health and environmental concern. Found in firefighting foams, industrial products, water supplies, soils and more, PFAS compounds are difficult to destroy, resist degradation, and have been linked to cancer, immune system disruptions, and other serious health effects. With regulatory and community pressure mounting, the need for safe, verifiable destruction has never been more urgent.
A new study out of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted in concert with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Clean Harbors, offers what may be the most compelling commercial-scale solution yet.
Performed in November 2024 and released in September 2025, the study validates that Clean Harbors’ high-temperature, RCRA-permitted incineration process destroys PFAS over 99.9999% effectively, meets or exceeds the strictest EPA emissions standards, and does so at scale.
Key findings:
- The incineration process was evaluated by stringent standards including OTM-50 and Method 0010 and showed no detectable fluorinated emissions.
- Ambient air emissions from the process were 2-8X lower than any state or federal limit.
- A broad range of PFAS compounds were tested, including AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) concentrate, PFOA, PFOS, PFBA, PFDA, PFHxA, PFHxS, and “GenX” (HFPO-DA), among others.
- Third-party experts reviewed the data independently – Dr. Melvin Keener (CRWI) and Dr. Jens Blotevogel (CSIRO) both affirmed the study’s findings.
Why this matters:
This study represents a milestone in PFAS remediation for several reasons:
- Many prior methods promised degradation, containment, or filtration, but few at scale with this level of measurement and third-party validation.
- For communities, industries and regulators, proof of permanent destruction rather than long-term containment or recycling means compliance pathways that reduce risk and worry.
- Lower emissions, verified under stringent methods, matter not just for regulatory compliance but for public trust and environmental safety.
What remains to be seen is the pace at which state and federal regulations will integrate validated incineration into mandated PFAS cleanup and disposal frameworks.
Bottom line:
Clean Harbors’ joint study with the EPA and DoD provides the strongest evidence yet that PFAS can be safely, effectively and permanently destroyed. For industries grappling with PFAS liability, for communities demanding removal, and for regulatory bodies seeking enforceable solutions, this is the breakthrough many have been waiting for.
Read the press release here.
Download the EPA report here.