Completion of Demonstration Test for PFOS and PFAS Countermeasure Technology in Ministry of the Environment Project

Okumura Corporation (Headquarters: Abeno-ku, Osaka; President: Takanori Okumura) proposed a water treatment technology that was selected in July 2025 as a demonstration target for the Ministry of the Environment's 'Demonstration Project for Countermeasure Technologies to Reduce Concentrations of PFOS, etc.' We are pleased to announce that the demonstration test for this technology has now been completed.

[Background] PFOS and PFOA (collectively referred to as 'PFOS, etc.') are substances of international concern due to their impact on human health among the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Due to their excellent water and oil resistance, they have been widely used in applications such as semiconductor manufacturing and fire-fighting foams. On the other hand, they are difficult to decompose in the natural environment and have the property of remaining in the human body and environment for long periods, raising concerns about their toxicity.

In recent years, soil, wastewater, and groundwater containing high concentrations of PFOS, etc., have been confirmed in some areas where temporary target values in the water environment have been exceeded. In response, various countermeasure technologies to reduce the concentration of PFOS, etc., are being developed and proposed, but actual implementation cases in Japan remain limited.

Given this situation, the Ministry of the Environment invited public proposals for effective countermeasure technologies contributing to the reduction of PFOS, etc., to enhance knowledge in this field. Our proposed water treatment technology was selected for this project, and the demonstration test was conducted as follows.

[Overview of the Demonstration Test] This demonstration test was conducted using actual landfill seepage water to verify whether a total of 21 PFAS items, including PFOS, etc., could be adsorbed and removed from water using ion-exchange resin water treatment technology.

The resins used were selected from general-purpose products with proven track records in other water treatment applications that are suitable for PFAS removal. They are characterized by their ease of introduction because they are more advantageous in terms of cost and supply compared to specialized PFAS removal products.

As a result of this demonstration test, in addition to being able to stably reduce PFOS, etc., we confirmed the adsorption performance for other PFAS, as well as operational stability and maintenance challenges in an actual environment.

Based on the knowledge gained from this demonstration test, we will continue to advance the sophistication of technologies that contribute to countermeasures against PFOS, etc., and contribute to environmental conservation and the improvement of the living environment.

[Contact Information] Okumura Corporation Environmental Technology Section, Environmental Solutions Department, Technical Headquarters Contact: Shimizu TEL: +81-6-6625-3764 E-mail: [email protected]