Water Treatment Cost Benchmarks
EPA PFAS treatment costs and performance analysis
Traditional Systems
GAC (Granular Activated Carbon)
Primary PFAS removal; TOC/NOM shortens bed life
IX (Ion Exchange)
Competing anions reduce bed life; single-use resin common
RO/NF (Reverse Osmosis)
Concentrate residual adds disposal burden
Chitosan-Biochar Platform
Upstream immobilization/polishing step
Cost/Burden Analysis
GAC: TOC/NOM Impact
TOC/NOM shortens bed life, requiring more frequent media replacement
IX: Competing Anions
Competing anions reduce bed life; single-use resin common
RO/NF: Disposal Burden
Concentrate residual adds disposal burden and costs
Numeric Benchmarks
| Tech | Cost | Unit |
| IX (2000 gpm) | $150,552 | annual |
| GAC (2000 gpm) | $269,790 | annual |
| IX (2000 gpm) | $0.14 | /1000 gal |
| GAC (2000 gpm) | $0.26 | /1000 gal |
| IX (500 gpm) | $0.26 | /1000 gal |
| GAC (500 gpm) | $0.45 | /1000 gal |
Source: EPA, NEWMOA (2023)
Integrated chitosan-biochar platform: upstream immobilization/polishing step intended to reduce PFAS mass flux and protect downstream media life.
Soil Remediation Cost Benchmarks
Cost analysis for PFAS soil treatment options
Conventional Pathways
Soil Washing
$100–$200/ton excluding residual treatment
Stabilization/Solidification
$100–$150/ton at 2% amendment
Smoldering Combustion
$260–$330/ton
Thermal Desorption
~$500/ton
Benchmark Ranges
| Technology | Cost |
| Soil washing (25k tons) | $100–$200/ton |
| Stabilization (2% amendment) | $100–$150/ton |
| Smoldering | $260–$330/ton |
| Thermal desorption | ~$500/ton |
Platform Cost Structure
| Component | Value |
| Chitosan IG | $135/kg |
| 3mm Biochar | $385/cy |
| Biochar dosage | 2–5% dry wt |
| Chitosan dosage | 0.1–0.5% dry wt |
| Chitosan-only equivalent | $122–$612/ton |
Integrated platform is positioned for immobilization and mass-flux reduction, not as a direct substitute for excavation plus thermal destruction.