An interview with Peter Murphy, Managing Director of Australian Environmental Engineering Company, EPOC Enviro

Q: Could you share details about your company's history and some of the significant milestones you’ve achieved in the past 5-6 years since you first launched your PFAS remediation offering to the market?

Back in 2016, EPOC Enviro trialled several approaches for PFAS remediation. Foam fractionation was considered an unlikely contender, but we couldn’t argue with those early results. Since then, we have undertaken significant refinement and the result is SAFF® (Surface Active Foam Fractionation).

We faced an uphill battle in the early days as our approach was unique to the market, but once we explained that air bubbles are just another highly effective adsorption media that comes with the benefit of being infinitely available at no cost, people were receptive.

Our big breakthrough was in 2018 when we won the contract to install SAFF® at Army Aviation Centre, Oakey. This site is our technology’s proving ground and just mile-stoned successful remediation of a quarter of a billion litres of impacted waters.

SAFF® technology has now remediated PFAS at 34 locations around the globe and we are just getting started.

Q: What was the catalyst for breaking into the PFAS remediation market in the US?

We recognised very early that the biggest opportunities and appetite for PFAS remediation lay with North America. We also understood that America would be an early leader in mandating PFAS regulatory change which would help drive demand, and we are seeing this play out with the recent adoption of MCL’s by their EPA.

We’ve had some major wins in this territory including the installation of SAFF® by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in the original 3M location, which is considered by many to be PFAS ground zero.

Q: Considering this edition's theme is innovation and technology, we are eager to learn about your journey from technological innovation to launch and market rollout across three continents (including manufacturing in two countries). What lies ahead for SAFF® and EPOC Enviro? What does the future hold for these ventures?

PFAS is now ubiquitous within the environment and this global problem requires a global approach. We have scaled up to meet demand through establishing technology manufacture in both Australia and the US, and this year we have switched focus to additional research and development. We are reinvesting in markets where we can apply our robust technology in increasingly complex matrices including landfill leachate, industrial process waters and sewerage waters. SAFF® technology is highly advanced in its ability to separate and concentrate target PFAS contaminants from impacted waters, but we continue to explore how we can partner with other technologies to optimise the efficacy of the treatment process.

Q: Can you share the PFAS species your SAFF® technology is able to target?

Since confirming that SAFF® can typically remove 99 per cent of long chain PFAS species such as PFOS and PFOA, we’ve been focusing on how to enhance the process for short chain PFAS contaminants. These processes include the optional addition of non-toxic boosters, the use of nano and micro bubbles at critical points in the treatment process and specialised ‘polishing’ treatments. We are seeing some great results with non-detect outcomes being achieved for the majority of short chains as we continue to evolve the process.

What is PFAS?

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a group of man-made chemicals that include PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, and many thousands of other synthetic chemicals.
• PFAS has been used worldwide since the 1950’s to make products that resist heat, stains, oil/grease and water.
• Until around 2004, PFAS compounds were present in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) which is a firefighting foam used worldwide to extinguish fires. PFAS chemicals are also used in non-stick cookware; fabric, furniture and carpet stain protection applications; food packaging and many industrial processes.
• PFAS compounds are generally very stable. They do not break down in the environment and they can accumulate over time.
• Over decades, PFAS chemicals leach through soil to reach the groundwater beneath.
• There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.

Why should we care about PFAS?

The USA EPA reports that current peer-reviewed scientific studies show exposure to certain levels of PFAS can lead to:

• Reproductive effects such as decreased fertility or increased high blood pressure in pregnant women.
• Developmental effects or delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, bone variations, or behavioural changes.
• Increased risk of some cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers.
• Reduced ability of the body’s immune system to fight infections, including reduced vaccine response.
• Interference with the body’s natural hormones.
• Increased cholesterol levels and/or risk of obesity.

Peter Murphy stands proudly in front of the company's first international SAFF unit, which was commissioned during a Swedish winter.


An aerial view of EPOC Enviro's SAFF in position at Shoalhaven


SAFF technology on location at Shoalhaven

Peter Murphy bio

Peter Murphy is the Managing Director of EPOC Enviro and has over thirty years of experience in the environmental engineering and consulting industry. Peter holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons) in Environmental Management and a Bachelor of Laws. Peter has led a number of complex remediation projects for State/Federal government agencies and he is particularly passionate about the management and remediation of emerging environmental contaminants on a global scale.

Article Published on 31/05/2024

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