Purafide

Purafide LLC is a Queens, New York-based water technology startup developing the Plasma Water Reactor (PWR), a proprietary plasma-based treatment system that destroys contaminants of emerging concern including PFAS, 1,4-dioxane, and NDMA rather than concentrating them into secondary waste streams. Founded by Selman Mujovic, PhD, the company employs a close-packed water stream geometry that amplifies plasma propagation, achieving 97% PFOS elimination on automotive industrial effluent compared to 83% for conventional plasma jet configurations. Purafide has secured three federal SBIR awards totaling $1,355,940 from the EPA and NSF, including a $999,940 NSF Phase II award (2024) to field-deploy the PWR at Michigan landfill sites identified by the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team (MPART). Target destruction criteria exceed 1-log (90%) reduction at flow rates around 5 gallons per minute. A 2025 research partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection demonstrated effective plasma destruction of PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and 1,4-dioxane across landfill leachate and leachate-impacted groundwater matrices. Purafide is developing in-house analytical capabilities under Draft EPA Method 1633 and collaborates with LaGuardia Community College for workforce development. The company is exploring equity-oriented business models including buy-one-donate-one distribution for disadvantaged communities.