WASHINGTON, June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calgon Carbon Corporation (“Calgon Carbon”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) (“Kuraray”), has won the 2026 American Water Works Association (AWWA) Innovation Award for its research demonstrating that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are destroyed during Calgon Carbon’s proprietary thermal reactivation of granular activated carbon used in drinking water treatment. The recognized research measured a destruction removal efficiency (DRE) greater than 99.9% under state-of-the-art test methods for PFAS, using OTM-45, OTM-50 and EPA Method 0010/8720 for fluorinated byproducts. It confirmed that the process removes PFAS to non-detectable levels on the reactivated carbon, which is returned to water utilities to continue to treat drinking water for PFAS across the country.

Highlights:

• AWWA honored Calgon Carbon with its 2026 Innovation Award in the service provider category for peer-reviewed research demonstrating the destruction of PFAS during thermal reactivation of granular activated carbon, with third-party validated results showing a DRE greater than 99.9% of PFAS during the process.
  
• The award recognizes scientific advancements that help drinking water utilities address PFAS treatment while supporting the reuse of activated carbon, advancing long-term resource management goals.
  
• The award comes the same week Calgon Carbon launches its Filtrasorb^® Rx brand at the AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE26), the reactivated carbon for municipal drinking water.
  

The award was presented during the Water Industry Luncheon at ACE26 in Washington, D.C.

Calgon Carbon received the honor for its groundbreaking research, "Destruction of PFAS During Thermal Reactivation of Granular Activated Carbon Used in Potable Water Treatment," which tracked PFAS compounds through the thermal reactivation process.

The research demonstrates that PFAS captured from drinking water are destroyed during reactivation, supporting a circular treatment approach in which activated carbon can be reused while reducing the need for disposal of PFAS-laden media. PFAS contamination is one of the most significant water quality challenges facing communities across the world.

The Innovation Award recognizes organizations and individuals whose work advances innovative thinking and delivers meaningful solutions to challenges like this facing the water sector.

“Utilities are making PFAS treatment decisions they will live with for decades, and they are choosing partners who can prove their science,” said Jenalle Brewer, Senior Vice President, Drinking Water Solutions, Innovative Carbon Technologies and Global Strategy and Communications at Calgon Carbon. “This award confirms what our customers already see in the data. It’s also the science behind Filtrasorb Rx, the reactivated carbon brand we are launching this week.”

The study builds on decades of industry use of activated carbon for drinking water treatment and documents the performance and operating conditions of Calgon Carbon’s reactivation process. The award is particularly timely as water providers across the United States continue investing in infrastructure and treatment technologies to address emerging PFAS regulations and public health priorities.

The recognition comes as Calgon Carbon introduces new innovations in drinking water treatment at ACE26, reinforcing the company's leadership in helping utilities address evolving PFAS challenges through science-based solutions.

About Calgon Carbon
Calgon Carbon, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Co., Ltd. (TYO: 3405) (Kuraray), is a global leader in the manufacture and/or distribution of innovative coal-, wood- and coconut-based activated carbon products — in granular, powdered, pelletized and cloth forms — to meet the most challenging purification demands of customers throughout the world. Calgon Carbon provides purification solutions for more than 700 distinct applications, including drinking water, wastewater, pollution abatement, and a variety of industrial and commercial manufacturing processes. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Calgon Carbon employs approximately 1,740 people and operates 20 manufacturing, reactivation, innovation and equipment fabrication facilities in the U.S., Asia, and in Europe, where Calgon Carbon is known as Chemviron. Calgon Carbon was acquired by Kuraray in March of 2018. Visit CalgonCarbon.com.

Contact:
Jay Kissman
Director, Global Marketing & Communications
Calgon Carbon Corporation | A Kuraray Company
jay.kissman@kuraray.com

Theresa Ferguson 
The Marketers Group
On behalf of Calgon Carbon
theresa@themarketersgroup.com