内容来源：https://www.geekwire.com/2026/forever-chemicals-are-everywhere-but-these-companies-are-out-to-destroy-them/

内容总结：

阿拉斯加居民意外发现自家井水含高浓度“永久化学物质”，两家西雅图企业推出创新净化技术

近日，阿拉斯加州费尔班克斯市一名退休医师助理希瑟·科波宁在看电影《黑水》后，出于好奇领取了免费水质检测试剂盒，结果震惊地发现自家1966年挖掘的水井含有高浓度PFAS（全氟和多氟烷基物质）。这种被称为“永久化学物质”的工业污染物在美国和全球范围内广泛污染水源和土壤，与免疫力下降、儿童发育迟缓、部分癌症发病率上升及生育能力下降等健康问题相关。

面对这一严峻环境挑战，位于华盛顿州西雅图地区的两家初创公司正在推出突破性技术。位于塔科马市的Aquagga公司研发了水热碱处理技术（HALT），通过高温和强碱性环境分解PFAS，可去除水中超过99.99%的有害物质。该公司已处理过来自费尔班克斯国际机场和北卡罗来纳州国防部项目的污染废水。

另一家名为Sedron Technologies的公司最初为比尔·盖茨基金会开发污水处理系统，后将其技术应用于处理PFAS。该公司通过高效热干燥器将污水污泥转化为生物燃料，并在超过900摄氏度的燃烧过程中彻底分解PFAS，同时产生清洁电力并网销售。

尽管已有解决方案，但污染治理成本惊人。学术研究估计，仅清除环境中某一亚类PFAS的成本每年就介于20万亿至7000万亿美元之间。2024年，拜登政府首次设定了饮用水中六种PFAS的限值（万亿分之四），而特朗普政府正试图取消其中四种的限值并推迟其他两种的执行期限。目前，多个州正在自行制定更严格的饮用水PFAS标准，推动着污染治理技术的市场需求。

受污染影响的科波宁目前不得不驱车往返一小时到天然泉水取水，或依赖当地供水公司的配送服务。她强调：“最重要的是停止更多污染。我们必须为子孙后代和未来的地球考虑。”

中文翻译：

订阅《正向充电》：Apple Podcasts、Spotify、Amazon Music、全部剧集

希瑟·科波宁参加《黑水》放映会，多少有些一时兴起——这部马克·鲁弗洛主演的电影，讲述的是有害的“永久性”化学物质污染溪流和饮用水。

她非常喜欢这部电影，并带回了由组织该活动的非营利组织提供的免费检测试剂盒，用来检测自家饮用水中的污染物，即PFAS（全氟和多氟烷基物质）。

科波宁是一名退休的医生助理，住在阿拉斯加州费尔班克斯市郊区的一栋房子里，这栋房子曾是她父母的。她了解该地区因军事基地和机场使用的消防泡沫而导致的PFAS污染，并且当地有朋友认为自己的健康受到了这些化学物质的损害。考虑到自己住所与潜在污染源的相对位置，科波宁曾以为自己应该没问题。

“真是意想不到，我父母1966年打的这口井，以前喝起来是世界上味道最好的水，而且位于已知污染区的西边，结果却检测出高浓度的PFAS，”科波宁说，“我们不相信，所以又反复检测了好几次。”

PFAS——是一类用于不粘锅、食品包装以及衣物和地毯中作为防油防水剂的工业化学品——污染着美国和世界各地的水和土壤。大多数人的血液中都能检测到其存在。

这些化学物质与免疫反应减弱、儿童发育迟缓、某些癌症发病率增加以及激素影响（如生育能力下降）有关。

随着PFAS在环境中扩散，控制和销毁这些持久性污染物的策略一直匮乏且成本极其高昂。

如今，在问题出现数十年后，情况终于开始改变。在《正向充电》（GeekWire推出的关注可持续发展和气候抗争希望的播客）的首期节目中，我们将带您走进研发和部署能够有效销毁PFAS技术的努力之中。两家走在最前沿的公司都位于华盛顿州西部：Aquagga和Sedron Technologies。

在塔科马市轰击PFAS

Aquagga公司位于塔科马市中心，在Petrich Marine大楼内进行研发工作——这是一栋位于工业化Thea Foss水道旁的曾是大理石加工厂的建筑。在这栋宽敞的木结构建筑内，这家初创公司制造用于处理来自集中污染源的PFAS污染的设备，这些设备安装在便于移动的、漆成亮白色的集装箱内。

“我们可以进去看看，”Aquagga联合创始人兼首席技术官布莱恩·平卡德一边说，一边让访客走进其中一个集装箱。“里面有点脏。注意脚下。只是别碰任何东西。这是唯一的原则。”

该系统采用水热碱性处理技术（HALT），利用高温和极强的碱性环境（可以想象成一种非常强的漂白剂）来轰击PFAS。受污染的废水流经机器，该过程将化学物质分解成更小、无害的成分，包括碳和氟化物化合物。

处理后的水虽然不能直接饮用，但该技术能销毁超过99.99%的PFAS。

近年来，Aquagga已处理过来自多种来源的受污染水，包括费尔班克斯国际机场一个曾存放20000加仑废物的有衬里的地下坑。与美国国防部合作的一个项目在北卡罗来纳州处理了3000加仑废物。仅国防部一家就估计有200万加仑含有PFAS的消防泡沫库存有待处理。

将废物转化为对抗PFAS的武器

Sedron公司的创立初衷并非为了对抗PFAS。它的目标是净化污水，使其变成饮用水——它曾将这样的水提供给微软联合创始人比尔·盖茨饮用。

Janicki Industries是一家航空航天工程和制造公司，于2011年获得了现盖茨基金会的资助。这家慈善机构希望开发一种用于发展中国家的废水净化系统。该项目最终促成了Sedron公司的成立。

该公司开发了处理乳制品废水和市政生物固体（污水处理厂的残余产物）的系统。Sedron使用节能的热力干燥机干燥生物固体，将其转化为生物燃料，送入生物质锅炉。锅炉发电，循环回去为干燥机提供动力，并产生多余的清洁能源出售给电网。

该系统还能销毁污染污水废物的PFAS，这些PFAS或来自消费品，或经由人体排出。

“当生物固体进入这些温度超过900摄氏度的热系统，并在其中停留两秒以上，且系统内部有足够湍流时，文献表明，PFAS就会被销毁，”Sedron公司的高级许可经理梅根·卡洛说。

如果没有这种处理，生物固体通常会作为肥料回归环境，被撒在农田、高尔夫球场或类似场所——从而使PFAS继续循环。

通往洁净水的漫漫长路

清理PFAS的解决方案是存在的，但问题的规模惊人。一项学术研究估计，以与PFAS释放相同的速率从环境中清除某种PFAS亚类的成本，大约在每年20万亿到7000万亿美元之间。

2024年，拜登政府制定了美国首个针对六种PFAS的饮用水限值，将上限设定为每万亿分之四——大约相当于五个奥运会标准游泳池中的一小滴水。特朗普政府正在着手取消其中四种PFAS的限值，并推迟另外两种的合规期限。

各州正在推进自己针对饮用水中PFAS的限制措施，包括监测要求以及对化学品使用方式和地点的限制。由此给市政当局和其他利益相关方带来的责任担忧，正在刺激对清理技术的需求。

Aquagga的设备可供租赁、购买或用于示范项目。Sedron公司今年已在南佛罗里达州破土动工，建设一个区域性废物处理设施，将为拥有200万人口的市政地区提供服务，预计将于2028年开始运营。

费尔班克斯居民希瑟·科波宁现在就需要一个解决方案。她的选择包括：往返一小时去一处天然泉水处装满5加仑的桶；从一家当地公司订购送水，但该公司的水似乎存在低浓度PFAS污染；或者使用类似Brita的PFAS过滤器。

但她同样关注更宏观的局面。

“最重要的事情是阻止更多的污染，”她说，“我们必须为子孙后代和未来的地球着想。”

来源与参考资料

采访对象：

• 布莱恩·平卡德，Aquagga公司联合创始人兼首席技术官
• 希瑟·科波宁，阿拉斯加州费尔班克斯市受PFAS影响的居民
• 斯蒂芬妮·多特勒，Sedron Technologies公司战略总监
• 梅根·卡洛，Sedron Technologies公司高级许可经理

其他来源：

• 《“永久性化学物质”不再永恒：塔科马初创公司的污染销毁装置》（GeekWire）
• 《资金充裕：华盛顿初创公司获得高达5亿美元，用于部署处理污水和乳制品废物的设施》（GeekWire）
• 《比尔·盖茨饮用污水净化水》（盖茨笔记）
• 《阿拉斯加社区有毒物质行动组织》
• 《无毒未来》

英文来源：

Subscribe to Positive Charge: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, All Episodes
It was on something of a lark that Heather Koponen went to a screening of “Dark Waters” — the Mark Ruffalo film about dangerous “forever” chemicals fouling creeks and drinking water.
She really liked the movie and took home a free test kit offered by the nonprofit that organized the event to check her own drinking water for the pollutants, known as PFAS.
Koponen, a retired physician’s assistant, lives on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska, in a home that once belonged to her parents. She knew about PFAS contamination in the area from firefighting foams used at military bases and airports, and had local friends who believed their health had been harmed by the chemicals. Koponen thought she was in the clear given her location relative to potential sources.
“Surprise, surprise, the well that my parents had put in in 1966, had the best-tasting water in the world and was west of the known contamination, turned out to have high levels of PFAS,” Koponen said. “We didn’t believe it, so we tested again, multiple times.”
PFAS — a family of industrial chemicals used in non-stick pans, food packaging, and as a grease and water repellent in clothes and carpets — contaminate water and soil across the U.S. and the world. Most people have detectable levels in their blood.
The chemicals are linked to reduced immune response, developmental delays in children, increased incidence of some cancers and hormonal impacts such as decreased fertility.
As PFAS have spread through the environment, strategies for controlling and destroying the persistent pollutants have been in short supply and extremely costly.
Now, decades into the problem, that’s finally changing. On this debut episode of Positive Charge, GeekWire’s podcast about hope in the sustainability and climate fight, we go inside the effort to build and deploy technologies that can effectively destroy PFAS. Two companies at the forefront are based in Western Washington: Aquagga and Sedron Technologies.
Blasting PFAS in Tacoma
Located in downtown Tacoma, Aquagga does its R&D work inside the Petrich Marine building — a former marble works facility on the industrialized Thea Foss waterway. Inside the cavernous wooden structure, the startup builds devices that treat PFAS pollution from concentrated sources, housed in easy-to-move shipping containers painted bright white.
“We can step inside,” said Brian Pinkard, Aquagga’s co-founder and chief technology officer, letting visitors inside one of the containers. “It’s a little dirty. Watch your step. Just don’t touch anything. That’s the one rule.”
The system uses hydrothermal alkaline treatment, or HALT, blasting PFAS with high temperatures and extremely alkaline conditions — imagine a very strong bleach. Contaminated wastewater flows through the machine, and the process breaks the chemicals into smaller, nonhazardous components, including carbon and fluoride compounds.
What comes out isn’t drinking-water safe, but the technology destroys more than 99.99% of PFAS.
In recent years, Aquagga has treated contaminated water from various sources, including a lined underground pit that once held 20,000 gallons of waste at Fairbanks International Airport. A project with the Department of Defense treated 3,000 gallons of waste in North Carolina. DOD alone has an estimated 2 million gallons of PFAS-containing firefighting foam stockpiled for disposal.
Turning waste into a weapon against PFAS
Sedron wasn’t launched to battle PFAS. It set out to purify sewage waste into drinkable water — which it once served to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
Janicki Industries, an aerospace engineering and manufacturing company, received funding in 2011 from what is now the Gates Foundation. The philanthropy wanted a wastewater purification system for use in developing countries. That project led to the creation of Sedron.
The company developed systems to treat dairy waste and municipal biosolids — the residual product from wastewater treatment plants. Sedron dries the biosolids in an energy-efficient thermal dryer, turning them into a biofuel fed into a biomass boiler. The boiler generates electricity that cycles back to power the dryer and produces excess clean energy sold to the grid.
The system also destroys PFAS that contaminate sewage waste, having escaped from consumer goods or passed through humans.
“When you’ve got biosolids in these thermal systems that are heated above 900 degrees Celsius, they’re in there for over two seconds, and there’s enough turbulence within that system, the literature suggests, that PFAS is destroyed,” said Meghan Carlo, Sedron’s senior permit manager.
Without this treatment, biosolids would typically be returned to the environment as fertilizer spread on farms, golf courses or similar sites — keeping PFAS in circulation.
The long road to clean water
Solutions for cleaning up PFAS exist, but the scale of the problem is staggering. One academic study estimated the cost of removing a subclass of PFAS from the environment at the same rate they are released: somewhere between $20 trillion and $7,000 trillion per year.
In 2024, the Biden administration established the country’s first drinking water limits on six forms of PFAS, setting a ceiling of 4 parts per trillion — roughly a tiny drop of water in five Olympic-sized swimming pools. The Trump administration is moving to cancel limits on four of the six and delay compliance for the other two.
States are forging ahead with their own restrictions on PFAS in drinking water, including monitoring requirements and limits on how and where the chemicals can be used. The resulting liability concerns for municipalities and other stakeholders are stoking demand for cleanup technologies.
Aquagga has devices available for lease, purchase or demonstration projects. Sedron broke ground this year on a regional waste treatment facility in South Florida that will serve municipalities home to 2 million people, with operations expected to begin in 2028.
Fairbanks resident Heather Koponen needs a solution now. Her options include an hour-long round trip to a natural spring to fill five-gallon jugs, deliveries from a local company whose water appears to have low-level PFAS contamination, or PFAS filters similar to a Brita.
But she’s also focused on the bigger picture.
“The most important thing is to stop more contamination,” she said. “We’ve got to think of future generations and the future planet.”
Sources and references
Interviews:

• Brian Pinkard, Aquagga, co-founder and chief technology officer
• Heather Koponen, Fairbanks, Alaska, resident impacted by PFAS
• Stephanie Dotterer, Sedron Technologies, director of strategy
• Meghan Carlo, Sedron Technologies, senior permit manager
  Additional sources:
• ‘Forever chemicals’ are eternal no more thanks to a pollution destroying device from Tacoma startup (GeekWire)
• Flush with cash: Washington startup lands up to $500M to deploy facilities treating sewage, dairy waste (GeekWire)
• Bill Gates drinking water from sewage waste (Gates Notes)
• Alaska Community Action on Toxics
• Toxic-Free Future