Tackling Decades of PFAS Accumulation at a Municipal Waste Site

A municipal waste facility in Sweden, in operation since the 1950s, faces one of the most persistent contamination challenges in the sector: PFAS accumulated in its leachate over decades. Leachate from the site is collected in several ponds and pumped onward for treatment, and the operator needed a way to address these compounds before the water reaches the municipal wastewater treatment plant.

In collaboration with the municipality, Mellifiq has deployed a pilot-scale treatment plant at the existing site to evaluate an advanced multi-stage purification process. The pilot draws contaminated water from the collection ponds and treats it ahead of the final municipal stage, with the facility handling up to 80,000 tons of leachate annually.

The primary focus of the treatment train is the removal of PFAS, while the process is also expected to reduce suspended organic matter and heavy metals. The concept is based on a proven multi-technology configuration combining AOP and multiple filtrations steps. Together, physical separation, advanced oxidation, and targeted adsorption act in sequence to deliver high treatment performance and efficient PFAS reduction.

The pilot will include controlled test runs and performance analysis, generating the data needed to support the design and optimization of a future full-scale implementation at the site.