ORLANDO, Fla.– ecoSPEARS, a Florida-based company with a breakthrough remediation solution, developed by NASA scientists, for eliminating PCBs and PFAS chemicals (known as ‘forever chemicals’), has been announced as the Bronze Edison Award winner for the category of Sustainability – Green Remediation.
The Edison Award recognizes ecoSPEARS as a new, clean technology for eliminating toxic environmental contaminants. The ecoSPEARS approach to cleansing water and soil represents a paradigm shift in the ability to remediate toxic sites.
For the third year, the Edison Awards Judges recognize the ecoSPEARS technology as a game-changing innovation. “ecoSPEARS stands out among the best new products and services launched in their category,” said Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director of the Edison Awards.
PCBs and PFAS chemicals were widely used to manufacture industrial and consumer products, and their presence has led to widespread contamination of soil and water.
PCB chemicals have been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, developmental problems, and other long-term diseases. PFAS chemicals have been linked to immune system dysfunction, thyroid disease, and cancer. PFAS have been found in food, food packaging, bottled water, makeup, toilet paper, artificial turf, and dental floss, as well as other products.
“One of the number one sources of exposure (to PFAS) is drinking water, but also our food,” said Carmen Messerlian, a professor of reproductive environmental epidemiology at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, who studies PFAS.
The breakthrough of ecoSPEARS’ technology is the ability to cleanse toxic water and soil where it exists, without having to move it. Current methods demand that toxic soil be dug up and moved to a safe location to be incinerated, which runs the risk of toxic spills in transit. And if the contaminated soil is under water, as in rivers, ports, and waterways, the digging process releases even more toxins into the environment.
The ecoSPEARS methodology involves two steps: the first is extraction of the toxic chemicals from soil or water; the second is the breakdown of these ‘forever chemicals.’ There’s no need to dig up or move toxic soil or burn it.
For that reason, this new methodology is more cost-effective and scalable; it can be used to eliminate PCBs, PFAS, dioxins, and other persistent toxins wherever they are found.
“Our mission is to bring this critical new technology to the world,” says Sergie Albino, CEO and ex-NASA scientist, who helped develop the process and founded ecoSPEARS. “We joined the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) to assist in eliminating PCB oil stockpiles worldwide by 2028. Our methodology will help make that happen.”
This new method for eliminating PCBs and PFAS chemicals is a milestone in environmental remediation because it makes the cleanup of polluted sites more economical and feasible.
