Sustainable PFAS Removal from Electronics Wastewater through a Cost-Health Trade-Off Framework

The rapid iteration of electronics and semiconductor technologies has brought convenience to daily life. However, the resulting large-scale production may pose health risks due to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) emissions. Here, we present the first trade-off analysis between PFAS wastewater treatment burdens and associated health benefits in electronics and semiconductor manufacturing and benchmark the costs against market values. Specifically, by 2035, the rapid expansion of these sectors is projected to discharge 4.4-10.9 kilotons of PFAS annually into wastewater, resulting in an estimated upper-bound range of 25-103 million comparative toxic units for human toxicity (CTUh) in the absence of treatment. Achieving the toxicity reduction via granular activated carbon (GAC), ion-exchange resin (IER), or reverse osmosis (RO) membranes will require annual investments of $16.5-50.0 billion across regions in 2035, equivalent to ∼0.5% of the respective electronics market value via IER. Moreover, we find that variations in breakthrough performance substantially alter both economic and environmental burdens, particularly in electronics wastewater, which is dominated by short-chain PFAS, whose limited removal efficiency amplifies these effects. By quantifying the cost-health nexus, our findings provide actionable insights for PFAS governance and reinforce the urgency of globally coordinated efforts to align industrial growth with environmental and public health protection.