Wei-Yi (Willy) Wu
Head of RD&E, Taiwan
Nalco Water, An Ecolab Company
Education
- Organic Polymeric Materials Engineering / National Taipei University of Technology
Experience
- Arizona Project Manager / LCY Group
RD Senior Manager / LCY Group
Plant Supervisor / LCY Group
Research Scientist / Institute for Catalysis, Hokkaido University
Post Doctoral Researcher / Osaka Metropolitan University
Speech Title and Abstract
An Integrated Approach of Zero Waste Circularity for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Wastewater
PFAS (Per‑ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are essential in semiconductor manufacturing due to their exceptional stability, low surface energy, and strong resistance to heat and chemicals. However, their extremely strong C–F bonds make them highly persistent, leading to long‑term accumulation in soil and water environments. In response, the U.S. EPA has established a 4‑ppt drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS, along with a hazard index for additional PFAS species.
Current removal methods—such as activated carbon, ion exchange resins, and reverse osmosis—are effective for certain PFAS but remain limited in addressing short‑chain PFAS wastewater, which poses sustainability challenges. Here, we propose an integrated approach that combines PFAS removal from wastewater, adsorbent regeneration, and PFAS recovery and purification to enable a closed‑loop material circularity.