[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/11892\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEurope tackles tricky toxins with new technologies \u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAn underground reservoir in Denmark is the location of a unique experiment: to test a technology for helping rid the environment of a widespread toxic pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe aquifer, near the town of Kors\u00f8r, contains high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are chemicals that have been used worldwide since the 1940s in hundreds of goods, including firefighting foams. The chemicals contaminated the Kors\u00f8r reservoir through runoff from a nearby firefighting school that used such foams in training exercises.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHuge headache\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPFAS have concerned scientists since at least the 1990s. Known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d, they don\u2019t naturally break down, and can\u2019t be removed from polluted soil and water by any existing method. They also increase the risk of cancer, immune-system disorders and other human health troubles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018PFAS are a huge problem,\u2019 said Professor Francesco Dondero, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy. \u2018Not only are they very persistent in the environment, but they are also extremely mobile.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDondero leads a research project that received EU funding to improve PFAS detection and removal in Europe and beyond. Called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101037509\u0022\u003ESCENARIOS\u003C\/a\u003E, the project runs for four years through October 2025 and has developed the technology being tested in Kors\u00f8r.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoveted by manufacturers for their ability to repel oil and water, PFAS are a common part of food packaging, waterproof clothing and stain-resistant fabrics. Production of the popular non-stick kitchenware coating Teflon releases PFAS into the environment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe unique properties of PFAS are a result of their chemical structure, at the heart of which are chains of carbon atoms of various lengths surrounded by atoms of fluorine.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe carbon-fluorine bond is extremely strong and hard to break. As a result, PFAS persist in the environment for hundreds \u2013 maybe thousands \u2013 of years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EChain reactions\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EIt would be enough if we can just store it somewhere.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor Francesco Dondero, SCENARIOS\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The types of PFAS with longer carbon chains can partially be removed from soil and water, but we currently have no tools for the short-chain ones,\u2019 said Dondero. \u2018Sources of PFAS pollution are also very diffuse and we have no means of monitoring them.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPFAS are released all over the world with wastewater from chemical plants \u2013 but not only.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey leak from landfills, contaminating the ground and surface water. Scientists have detected these harmful chemicals in Arctic icesheets, human breast milk and the drinking water of many major cities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile some of the most dangerous types of PFAS have already been banned, many are still in use. As a result, their concentrations in the environment keep rising.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPersonal perspective\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDondero\u2019s interest in PFAS emerged after he moved to Alessandria, a town in northwestern Italy with a major chemical plant.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I moved my family here 20 years ago and then discovered that local water resources have been contaminated with PFAS,\u2019 said Dondero. \u2018They even found PFAS in the blood of local people. That\u2019s why I put together this project.\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCENARIOS brings together universities, research institutes, medical centres and companies from 11 countries: Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden and the UK.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe tests in Kors\u00f8r represent a culmination of the project\u2019s work.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPromising results\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have joined forces with a Swedish company, Envytech Solutions, to develop a way of removing short-chain PFAS without creating other pollution in the process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique, called Surface Active Foam Fractionation, or SAFF, relies on tiny air bubbles. Researchers pump and treat contaminated water from the aquifer into a tank and blow in air at the bottom. As the bubbles rise through the tank, they collect the water-repelling PFAS molecules and bring them to the surface.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018These air bubbles have enormous affinity to PFAS and increase their concentrations at the surface by a factor of 100 000, ultimately allowing the final PFAS waste to be concentrated to levels exceeding a million times,\u2019 said Dondero.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe demonstration started in February 2024 and will last until September.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are testing various substances that could be added to the water to improve the effectiveness of the removal process, especially with regard to the hard-to-tackle short-chain PFAS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the results are promising. In some cases, the system was able to remove more than 99% of the contamination, according to Dondero.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next step will be for the researchers to examine how to destroy the concentrated PFAS waste in a safe manner.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018For now, it would be enough if we can just store it somewhere until the destruction technology is developed,\u2019 Dondero said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESearch for substitutes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESCENARIOS is part of a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/research-area\/health\/environment-and-health_en#the-portfolio-of-projects-from-the-horizon-2020-green-deal-call\u0022\u003Ecluster\u003C\/a\u003E of health research projects that support the European Green Deal and advance an EU\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/environment.ec.europa.eu\/strategy\/zero-pollution-action-plan_en\u0022\u003EZero Pollution Action Plan\u003C\/a\u003E from 2021.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe plan foresees that, by 2050, concentrations of dangerous pollutants in air, soil and water decrease to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the strategy, PFAS should be phased out unless their use is deemed essential.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut creating a non-toxic, degradable and affordable replacement is no easy task.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018In nature, there is no other alternative that gives you the kinds of properties that PFAS have,\u2019 said Dr Miika Nikinmaa, a biomaterials researcher at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. \u2018They are also very cost competitive.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe have been quite successful.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Miika Nikinmaa, ZeroF\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENikinmaa leads an EU-funded project to develop safe and sustainable alternatives to PFAS for use in food packaging and upholstery.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalled\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101092164\u0022\u003EZeroF\u003C\/a\u003E, the three-year project is due to run until the end of 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor packaging applications, the researchers are experimenting with fatty acid modified cellulose together with novel coating methods and chemistries to produce the desired properties of resistance to water and oil.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We have been quite successful creating the water-barrier function,\u2019 Nikinmaa said. \u2018The oil barrier is more difficult. But the most difficult thing is to achieve both at the same time.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELegislative appeal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo replace PFAS in textiles and upholstery, the researchers are trying out a type of organic-inorganic polymer called ORMOCER. It was developed by the Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research, which is a ZeroF partner.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe material can be combined with various coatings to match as closely as possible the properties of PFAS.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the end of the project, the researchers hope to have developed and tested safe and sustainable PFAS alternatives that would be no more than 20% costlier.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENonetheless, Nikinmaa says that overcoming PFAS contamination will require help from policymakers in Europe through new rules, including possible wider bans.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I don\u2019t expect a major technology leap to happen that would enable us to replace PFAS in all the applications, in a cost-competitive way, in the near future without major changes in legislation,\u2019 he said. \u2018They are simply too cost-effective and too convenient. All the new technologies are more complex and therefore more expensive.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDondero of SCENARIOS drove home the point by saying stricter prohibitions on PFAS are needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need to start introducing restrictions to force the industry to phase them out,\u2019 he said. \u2018We won\u2019t be able to ban them in all industries at once, but we need to start somewhere.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme. The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. 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