A proprietary blend of aluminosilicate materials designed for PFAS affinity—distinct from activated carbon or ion exchange resins.
How It Works
FLUORO-SORB® is a proprietary, NSF-certified sorbent engineered by CETCO for high-capacity, long-life PFAS adsorption. It works by selectively binding a wide range of PFAS compounds—both long- and short-chain—using surface chemistry optimized for these complex molecules.
- Selective Sorption: Outperforms granular activated carbon (GAC) in PFAS retention, especially for short chains
- High Capacity: Enables smaller injection footprints or longer operational cycles of installed material (e.g. funnel and gate PRBs)
- Formation Retention: When injected, FLUORO-SORB does not migrate with groundwater and stays in the area of emplacement, unlike colloidal activated carbon (CAC)
- Compatibility: Can be co-installed with many other reactants and reagents
- Cost: Both on a weight basis and a removal basis, FLUORO-SORB is less expensive than CAC, GAC, powdered activated carbon (PAC), ion exchange (IX) resin, biochar, and other sorbents
Performance Results
- 99%+ removal of PFOA/PFOS has been demonstrated
- Effective even at low concentrations (<100 ppt)
- Successful projects completed in the US and internationally
- Validated in head-to-head testing against other adsorbents
Common Applications
- Permeable adsorptive barriers (PABs) for passive PFAS plume control (single or multi-stage PRBs)
- Firefighting foam (AFFF) impact cleanup zones
- Protecting sensitive receptors
- Industrial facilities using or producing PFAS
- Landfills and legacy waste disposal areas
- Department of Defense and DoE sites
- Chemical manufacturing or plating facilities
- Fuel terminals and rail yards with legacy AFFF usage
Typical Site Types
- Airports and airbases (fire training areas)
- Municipal water treatment plants
- Industrial facilities using or producing PFAS
- Landfills and legacy waste disposal areas
- Department of Defense and DoE sites
- Chemical manufacturing or plating facilities
- Fuel terminals and rail yards with legacy AFFF usage
This chart compares three common PFAS treatment media—GAC, IX resin, and FLUORO-SORB®—based on removal efficiency and cost. While IX resin shows the highest removal performance (~94%), it comes with the highest material and O&M costs. GAC is the most economical option upfront but delivers the lowest removal rates (~59%) and shortest lifespan, especially for short-chain PFAS. FLUORO-SORB® strikes a strong balance, offering high removal efficiency (~86%) with longer bed life and broader PFAS capture at a mid-range cost. For many applications, it delivers the best total cost of ownership over time.
Sources & References:
- CETCO FLUORO-SORB® Technical Bulletin (FS-101)
Comparison of FLUORO-SORB®, GAC, and IX Resin in PFAS removal (PDF) - Orange County Water District (OCWD) PFAS Pilot Report
Pilot study comparing PFAS adsorbents, including FLUORO-SORB®, GAC, and IX resin (PDF) - SERDP/ESTCP Demonstration Project
Side-by-side performance of FLUORO-SORB® and GAC/IX in groundwater treatment - AWWA Water Science Journal – “Comparison of Adsorption Media for PFAS Treatment”
- Concawe PFAS Treatment Review Report (2021)
Industry-wide review of PFAS removal media including effectiveness and cost
