PFAS: What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t) — An Engineer’s Perspective

Chat with Greg Fridman · Mar 5, 2026 · 8m

PFAS are often called “forever chemicals.” But what does that really mean?

In this episode, I break down PFAS from an engineering perspective:

• Why carbon-fluorine bonds are so difficult to break

• The difference between removal and destruction

• Why filtration is not the same as elimination

• What incineration, electrochemistry, and plasma actually do

• Where the real technical challenges lie

This is not a hype video. It’s a grounded look at the physics, chemistry, and systems engineering behind PFAS remediation.

I have a PhD in bioengineering and spent over a decade as a research professor…