PFAS Breakthrough in Point-of-Use Anion-Exchange--But Spent Resin Disposal Risks Backsliding

A new water filter breakthrough gets rid of PFAS at the tap, but the debris it leaves behind raises worries about health and the environment

Tuesday, September 9, 2025 - Homeowners and small businesses in the U.S. are using point-of-use (POU) water treatment systems to get rid of PFAS in their drinking water. Anion-exchange filtration is one of the most promising new technologies in this field. It uses resins that grab and hold onto PFAS molecules. These systems are a useful backup when bigger municipal treatment plants aren't enough. People have been told that they are a safe approach to lower their exposure to these harmful "forever chemicals," especially in places where PFAS pollution is common. These filters give those who are worried about getting cancer or are involved in a PFAS drinking water litigation a sense of control. PFAS water cancer lawyers have noticed that the technology is becoming more important for both reducing damage and making legal claims for protecting households. Experts, on the other hand, say that the long-term success of this new idea depends on what occurs after the filters complete their work. When these anion-exchange resins are full, they become hazardous trash. How they are treated may decide whether the PFAS problem is really solved or just moved about.

The U.S. says that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that anion-exchange technology is very good at getting short- and long-chain PFAS chemicals, such as PFOA and PFOS, out of drinking water. The agency's 2024 technical bulletin did, however, point out a big problem: most states don't have rules for how to properly get rid of used ion-exchange resin. Full cartridges are often thrown away in landfills, where PFAS might eventually seep back into groundwater. Other ways to get rid of them include burning them, but if they don't burn all the way, they could leak harmful PFAS chemicals into the air. Some businesses have tried regeneration, which means washing the PFAS out of the resin so it may be used again. However, the wash solutions themselves generate very concentrated PFAS waste that still needs to be thrown away. This generates a dangerous cycle in which PFAS is taken from one water source and then threatens another. If there aren't clear rules for how to throw things out or a single place to collect them, homes and small companies may have to deal with this trash on their own. A lot of the work is currently falling on local governments, many of whom are not ready to deal with these items as hazardous waste.

The amount of spent resin that needs to be safely handled will also expand as the need for PFAS removal grows. If this problem isn't fixed immediately, a technology that was meant to help could make it worse. One option is to make companies that make POU anion-exchange systems include programs for returning and recycling the systems, like battery take-back services. Another option would be to treat leftover resin from PFAS filtration as federally regulated hazardous waste. This would make sure that it gets the right treatment at specialist facilities. Also, public education will be very important. People need to know that these filters aren't "set it and forget it" solutions; they are part of a chain of duty that goes on after they are installed. In the meantime, states that have a lot of PFAS pollution problems may start to implement laws that reduce the regulatory gap when it comes to getting rid of resin.

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• Studies Conclude That Unborn Children Were Injured When Pregnant Mothers Drank Contaminated Tap Water | 4/8/2022
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• Mothers That Drink Tap Water During Pregnancy Risk Having Children Born With Birth Defects | 3/30/2022
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• The Closing Of Military Bases Exposed Toxic Burn Pits And Forever Chemicals in Firefighting Foam | 3/23/2022
• Politicians Agree Camp Lejeune Service Members And Their Families Deserve The Right To Sue The Federal Government | 3/22/2022
• Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Sickened Thousands Of Young Military Families With Terminal Illnesses | 3/21/2022
• Lawmakers Have More Evidence To Help Water Contamination Cancer Families Get Their Day In Court | 3/17/2022
• The Staggering Scope Of Firefighting Foam Water Contamination | 3/14/2022
• The EPA Allocates A Record Amount of Money To Fix Lead Drinking Water Pipes Servicing Low-Income Communities | 3/10/2022
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• Children Living Near Military Bases and Firefighting Stations Could Be At Risk Of Developing Cancer From The Drinking Water | 3/7/2022
• Camp Lejeune Toxic Water Survivors Could Get Their Day In Court | 3/6/2022
• Camp Lejeune Justice Act Is One Step Closer To Becoming A Reality | 3/5/2022
• County Governments Are Suing 3M For Failing To Warn Them of Forever Chemicals In Firefighting Foam | 3/4/2022
• Veterans Who Love Their Country Gathered In Kentucky To Insist The Government Do The Right Thing | 3/3/2022
• Ground-Water Contamination At Military Installation Caused Cancer In Thousands of Veterans | 3/2/2022
• Private Homeowners and Renters Are Largely Unaware Of the Toxic Chemical That Contaminate Their Everyday Drinking Wellwater | 3/1/2022
• Individuals and Families Should Test The Drinking Water For Carcinogenic Chemical Contamination | 2/28/2022

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