Business
The firms looking to destroy harmful ‘forever chemicals’
Technology Reporter
374Water“There’s a lot of destruction that needs to be done,” sums up Parker Bovée of Cleantech Group, a research and consulting firm.
He is referring to PFAS (Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), also known as “forever chemicals”.
These man-made chemicals can be found in items such as waterproof clothing, non-stick pans, lipsticks and food packaging.
They are used for their grease and water repellence, but do not degrade quickly and have been linked to health issues such as higher risks of certain cancers and reproductive problems.
The extraordinarily strong carbon-fluorine bonds they contain gives them the ability to persist for decades or even centuries in nature.
PFAS can be detected and removed from water and soil and then concentrated into smaller volumes of high strength waste.
But what to do with that waste?
Currently, concentrated PFAS waste is either put in long-term storage which is expensive, or incinerated (often incompletely, leading to toxic emissions), or sent to landfills for hazardous waste.
But now clean-tech companies are bringing techniques to market that can destroy them.
These are being tested in small-scale pilot projects with potential customers including some industrial manufacturers, municipal wastewater treatment plants and even the US military.
There’s a “large and growing” market opportunity for PFAS destruction companies notes Mr Bovée.
While it is mostly currently centred in the US, others are dipping their toes, he says.
In the UK, funding for water companies to look into PFAS destruction has been provided by water regulator Ofwat, with Severn Trent Water leading a project to examine the potential technologies and suppliers.
One factor driving the market forward in the US is legal risk. Thousands of lawsuits claiming PFAS-related contamination and harm have been filed with some large chemical manufacturers, notably 3M, having already paid out billions in class-action settlements.
Regulation is also beginning to tighten worldwide.
Legal limits for two PFAS in drinking water are now scheduled to take effect in the US in 2031.
PFAS remains a bipartisan issue, says Mr Bovée, and many expect that future US regulation will expand beyond drinking water to cover industrial discharge and other sources.
The EU also has legal limits for PFAS in drinking water, which member states must begin enforcing from next year.
Axine Water TechnologiesThere are a variety of technologies for destroying PFAS – each with their own advantages and limitations.
According to Mr Bovée, one technology that is almost commercially ready is electrochemical oxidation (EO) technology.
Electrodes are placed in water contaminated by PFAS and a current is passed through, resulting in the chemicals’ breakdown.
While energy intensive, it doesn’t require high temperature or pressure, and is easy to operate and integrate into existing treatment systems for concentrating PFAS, says Mark Ralph, CEO of Canadian-based start-up Axine Water Technologies.
Last year, following a successful pilot project, it sold its first commercial-scale unit to a Michigan-based producer of automotive components. It is now up and running and the customer is planning to purchase additional systems for other sites.
374WaterAnother technology not far behind is Supercritical Water Oxidation (SCWO).
It relies on heating and pressurising water to such a high degree that it enters a new state of matter: a so-called supercritical state. When the PFAS waste stream is introduced, it breaks the carbon-fluorine bonds.
One advantage is that it can process both solid and liquid PFAS waste, says Chris Gannon, CEO of North Carolina-based 374Water.
He says his technology can even destroy PFAS in plastics if they are ground up.
It can be expensive to buy and maintain – the process is so intense it requires a complex reactor and regular cleaning. But it can be more cost effective if the PFAS is first concentrated before it enters the process.
Currently the City of Orlando in Florida is testing 374Water’s technology at its largest wastewater treatment plant.
The City is trying to get ahead of the curve, explains Alan Oyler, its special projects manager for public works.
Levels of PFAS in sewage sludge aren’t currently regulated, but he expects them to be in the future.
So far, Mr Oyler is pleased with the destruction capability he has seen, but is also waiting to see how reliable the system is.
The scale of 374Water’s current technology is small: it can handle just a fraction of the tonnes of wet sludge the facility produces daily.
But the company is in the process of scaling up, and Mr Oyler imagines in a few years it will be able to handle all the facility’s material “ready for when the regulations require”.
Other technologies on their way to being commercially ready include hydrothermal alkaline treatment (HALT), which uses high temperature, high pressure, and an alkaline chemical to destroy PFAS; and plasma-based technology, which involves making an ionized gas (called a plasma) to attack and degrade the PFAS molecules.
AquaggaYet there is one potential issue with the technologies now coming through, says Jay Meegoda, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the New Jersey Institute of Technology: nasty PFAS degradation byproducts.
For example, in the case of EO, highly corrosive hydrogen fluoride vapor. Each needs a “complete study” accounting for all their inputs and outputs, he says.
The companies have claimed they either don’t produce PFAS degradation products or deal with them adequately.
One important partner for many of the PFAS destruction companies in testing their technologies in the real world has been the US Department of Defence (DOD).
PFAS contamination at US military sites is a big, below-the-radar problem. It stems particularly from the use of older formulations of firefighting foam, used for example during training exercises or emergencies, but other routes too such as the cleaning of military equipment.
More than 700 sites are known or suspected to be contaminated, posing a threat to surrounding communities. A judge recently cleared the way for PFAS contamination and harm lawsuits against the military to proceed.
Clean up efforts are where the destruction companies could come in, and projects have been undertaken or are under way at various sites to assess the performance and cost effectiveness of many of their solutions.
One start-up, Aquagga, which specialises in HALT technology, recently completed a demonstration project for the DOD which involved destroying a firefighting foam mixture amongst other concentrated PFAS-containing liquids.
Immense volumes of the foam are currently stockpiled in all sorts of places, not just at military sites.
Like others, Aquagga sees a big opportunity over the next few years for both destroying the foam and remediating the environmental damage associated with its use.
And outside the military, there’s a tantalizing new PFAS waste stream on the horizon. The US is actively expanding domestic computer chip manufacturing – a process that uses PFAS in massive amounts. “We can destroy that,” says Mr Gannon, of 374Water.
Business
Consumer tech expansion: Philips to widen India portfolio with global products; focus on male grooming, mother and child care – The Times of India
Philips India is set to broaden its footprint in the domestic market by introducing more global product lines and strengthening its offerings in male grooming and mother and child care, responding to rising consumer demand for premium personal care products.The company, which recently rolled out its rechargeable intimate skin-protect grooming product, OneBlade, aimed at Gen Z consumers, said the premium segment is seeing robust growth, highlighting a shift in Indian consumer preferences, PTI reported.“We will continue strengthening male grooming and mother and childcare with newer and newer innovations, and we continue to get our global categories, which are huge in other markets, into India,” said Smit Shukla, Head of Philips Personal Health India Subcontinent.He added that Philips has a large global portfolio in oral care, and the company is assessing strategies to drive consumer demand before introducing these products in India.According to Vidyut Kaul, Head of Personal Health, Philips Growth Region (JAPAC, ISC, META & LATAM), the non-manual grooming market in India has been expanding at a mid-to-high single-digit growth rate annually over the last five years.In the grooming segment, Philips India enjoys a 50-60 per cent market share, depending on the sales channel, Kaul said, underscoring the brand’s leadership position.He added that while Philips has long been a global innovation leader, the company had earlier avoided introducing premium innovations in India due to perceptions of it being a price-sensitive market. However, he said, “It is not price-sensitive but value-conscious, and we are seeing that premiumisation is fast catching up.”The company’s most premium shaver, launched in April this year, received a strong consumer response, with demand outpacing supply, he said. Philips has witnessed over 75 per cent growth in the premium segment, driven by this shift in consumer sentiment.The male grooming segment continues to be one of the top growth drivers for Philips in India, followed by the mother and child care segment, both of which have performed strongly over the past 2–3 years.“They continue to boost more and more growth and give access to the consumers. In addition, the personal care and personal grooming segments will further accelerate the growth journey there,” Kaul said.He also noted that Philips has enhanced localisation in its manufacturing operations under its ‘local-for-local’ strategy, which has helped shield the company from the impact of rising US tariffs.
Business
Women in banking: SBI aims for 30% female workforce by 2030; steps up inclusion and health initiatives – The Times of India
The State Bank of India (SBI) has set a target to raise the share of women in its workforce to 30 per cent by 2030 as part of a broader push to strengthen gender diversity and inclusivity across all levels of the organisation.SBI Deputy Managing Director (HR) and Chief Development Officer (CDO) Kishore Kumar Poludasu told PTI that women currently account for about 27 per cent of the bank’s total workforce, though the figure rises to nearly 33 per cent among frontline staff.“We will be working towards improving this percentage so that diversity gets further strengthened,” Poludasu said, adding that the bank is taking targeted measures to bridge the gap and meet its medium-term diversity goal.With a staff strength of over 2.4 lakh — among the highest for any organisation in the country — SBI has rolled out several initiatives aimed at creating a workplace where women can thrive professionally while maintaining work-life balance.Among the women-centric measures, the bank offers creche allowances for working mothers, a family connect programme, and dedicated training sessions to help women re-enter the workforce after maternity, sabbatical, or extended sick leave.Poludasu said SBI’s flagship initiative, Empower Her, is designed to identify, mentor, and groom women employees for leadership roles through structured leadership labs and coaching sessions. The programme aims to strengthen the pipeline of women leaders across the organisation.The bank has also introduced wellness initiatives tailored to women’s health needs, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, nutritional allowances for pregnant employees, and a cervical cancer vaccination drive.“These programmes are designed keeping in mind the women and girls who are employed in the bank,” Poludasu said, adding that SBI remains committed to fostering an inclusive, secure, and empowering workplace.Currently, the lender operates over 340 all-women branches across India, and the number is expected to increase in the coming years.SBI, one of the world’s top 50 banks by asset size, has also been recognised among India’s best employers by multiple organisations. Poludasu said the bank continues to drive innovation across processes, technology, and customer experience while ensuring that diversity and inclusion remain central to its transformation journey.
Business
Trade talks: India, EU wrap up 14th round of FTA negotiations; push on to seal deal by December – The Times of India
India and the 27-nation European Union (EU) have concluded the 14th round of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) in Brussels, as both sides look to resolve outstanding issues and move closer to signing the deal by the end of the year, PTI reported citing an official.The five-day round, which began on October 6, focused on narrowing gaps across key areas of trade in goods and services. Indian negotiators were later joined by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal in the final days to provide additional momentum to the talks.During his visit, Agrawal held discussions with Sabine Weyand, Director General for Trade at the European Commission, as both sides worked to accelerate progress on the long-pending trade pact.Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently said he was hopeful that the two sides would be able to sign the agreement soon. Goyal is also expected to travel to Brussels to meet his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic for a high-level review of the progress made so far.Both India and the EU have set an ambitious target to conclude the negotiations by December, officials familiar with the matter said, PTI reported.Negotiations for a comprehensive trade pact between India and the EU were relaunched in June 2022 after a hiatus of more than eight years. The process had been suspended in 2013 due to significant differences over market access and tariff liberalisation.The EU has sought deeper tariff cuts in sectors such as automobiles and medical devices, alongside reductions in duties on products including wine, spirits, meat, and poultry. It has also pressed for a stronger intellectual property framework as part of the agreement.For India, the proposed pact holds potential to make key export categories such as ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, steel, petroleum products, and electrical machinery more competitive in the European market.The India-EU trade pact talks span 23 policy chapters covering areas such as trade in goods and services, investment protection, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, technical barriers to trade, rules of origin, customs procedures, competition, trade defence, government procurement, dispute resolution, geographical indications, and sustainable development.India’s bilateral trade in goods with the EU stood at $136.53 billion in 2024–25, comprising exports worth $75.85 billion and imports valued at $60.68 billion — making the bloc India’s largest trading partner for goods.The EU accounts for nearly 17 per cent of India’s total exports, while India represents around 9 per cent of the bloc’s overall exports to global markets. Bilateral trade in services between the two partners was estimated at $51.45 billion in 2023.
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