"Our solutions are based on adsorption and advanced PFAS separation processes"

In early May, the creation of RemeO at the Ecoparc de Daval, in Sierre, was made official. Specializing in the remediation of contaminated waters, particularly by PFAS, this subsidiary of the AquaNest Group aims to become the reference partner in Switzerland for public authorities, industrial companies and managers of polluted sites.

"Our objective is to provide tailor-made solutions — whether mobile units, temporary installations or fixed systems — in order to guarantee the elimination of PFAS and compliance with environmental standards, while optimizing capital and operating costs," explains Christophe Bonvin, business unite manager and sales manager of this new entity.

A specialist in PFAS treatment, he discusses the challenges posed by these substances, often referred to as "forever pollutants", for the management and treatment of water in Switzerland. Interview

Regarding water treatment, is Switzerland sufficiently active or, on the contrary, lagging behind in the face of emerging and growing sources of pollution such as PFAS?

Switzerland today lags behind several European countries as well as the United States in PFAS regulation. For example, in the field of drinking water, only three substances are currently regulated: PFOS (< 300 ng/L), PFOA (< 500 ng/L) and PFHxS (< 300 ng/L). These limit values do not necessarily reflect the most recent scientific knowledge regarding the long-term toxicity of these substances. Conversely, some Scandinavian countries already apply thresholds up to a hundred times stricter.

Fortunately, the situation is evolving. Several working groups and parliamentary initiatives are currently mobilized to adapt legislation and better protect the population. It is also important to point out that the majority of Swiss drinking water resources remain relatively little affected. The main treatment needs today concern construction site waters, certain industrial sites and historically contaminated areas, whose effluents must be treated before discharge into the environment.

People often speak of "forever pollutants" regarding PFAS. Is it really possible to fully remediate waters polluted by these substances?

PFAS are indeed described as "forever pollutants" because of their extremely stable carbon-fluorine bonds, which make them particularly resistant to natural degradation processes. Complete remediation of a contaminated site is possible in some situations, but it remains complex, costly and highly dependent on the origin and extent of the contamination.

Even when the source of pollution has been removed, PFAS present in soils can continue to migrate into groundwater for many years. That is why water treatment alone often constitutes a containment measure or an emergency response intended to limit the spread of pollution. To achieve sustainable rehabilitation, it is generally necessary to also treat contaminated soils.

The main problem lies in the fact that PFAS are now widespread in the environment and that the costs to treat them will be considerable.

It is known that sometimes the cure can be worse than the disease when it involves — for example — the use of chemical substances. How do you manage to depollute these contaminated waters?

We favor physical technologies and do not resort to the addition of chemical reagents. Our solutions are mainly based on adsorption and advanced separation processes, which allow PFAS to be concentrated on a filter medium, such as activated carbon, or in a concentrated stream. The treated water can thus meet current regulatory requirements before being discharged into the environment.

The concentrated residues must then be handled by specialized channels in order to ensure the definitive destruction of PFAS. It is important to remember that each water has particular characteristics. Some technologies can, for example, see their efficiency decrease in the presence of high concentrations of organic matter. On-site pilot tests allow us to assess the real performance of the different solutions and to select the technology best suited to each situation.

What is the extent of water pollution in Switzerland, notably that of groundwater, potential intervention sources for RemeO?

The main problem lies in the fact that PFAS are now widely present in the environment and that the costs to treat them will be considerable. Switzerland is not immune to this reality. Like most industrialized countries, it faces diffuse contamination affecting groundwater, construction site waters as well as certain industrial effluents.

To measure the scale of the phenomenon, it is interesting to refer to the mapping of the "Forever Pollution Project", an international investigative journalism project in which "Le Monde" participated, among others. It highlights contamination now extending across the whole of industrialized Europe.

The real challenge will be to put in place a regulatory framework that is both effective and economically sustainable. While water treatment is sometimes essential, it remains an "end-of-pipe" solution, that is, it intervenes after the pollution has been produced. In the long term, only a reduction of emissions at source will limit this contamination sustainably.

Is there cause for alarm regarding the state of water in Switzerland and the rest of the world?

From a health perspective, PFAS are worrying because the entire population is exposed to them today. These substances accumulate in the body and are associated with various adverse health effects, notably certain forms of cancer, disruptions of the hormonal system and reproductive disorders. In Switzerland, we still lack data on the actual exposure of the population. European studies nevertheless show that this exposure is already widespread.

From an economic perspective, the costs of inaction are also considerable. The health impacts related to PFAS are estimated at several tens of billions of euros per year in Europe. Added to this are the considerable investments that will be necessary to decontaminate polluted environments.

So this issue must be taken very seriously. However, the solution does not lie solely in the treatment of contaminated waters. It is essential to act at the source by limiting, or even progressively banning, the production and use of substances containing PFAS when alternatives exist. Without this preventive approach, we will continue to accumulate these pollutants in the environment and to pass the costs on to future generations.

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