Breaking the cycle of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in the environment (Beat-PFAS)

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly stable synthetic chemicals that have been used in various industries for decades.

Spills of PFAS-containing firefighting foam on land are one of the single largest sources of contamination of the aquatic environment, and eliminating PFAS from soil is the first step to prevent further spread of PFAS to ground- and surface water. Although various existing techniques have been tried, none have been effective for all target PFAS compounds.

Therefore, combination of selected methods into an innovative treatment chain will be developed here to eradicate PFAS from contaminated soil and water.We aim to develop a flexible treatment chain that can effectively remove, concentrate, and destroy PFAS molecules with varying carbon chains in contaminated materials, by this, reducing persistent chemicals in the aquatic environment.

The project team composed of researchers, key technology developers and an end-user will jointly address research questions related with development of optimal operational conditions for PFAS removal and degradation, and demonstrate the entire concept in a pilot.

With this project we intend to make a substantial contribution to solving the PFAS challenge in the society through technology.

We will address both environmental issues and socioeconomic impacts, making sustainability an integral part of our efforts.