Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf have developed two procedures to break down persistent PFAS chemicals in water, with tests showing promising degradation of PFOS.
A research team at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf is working on methods to degrade PFAS, chemicals used since the 1950s in refrigerants and nonstick coatings that have accumulated in water, soil, and organisms.
The procedures are hydrodynamic cavitation, which generates collapsing vapor bubbles exposing chemicals to extreme conditions, and cold atmospheric plasma combined with gas dispersion to bring PFAS to the treatment zone. Tests on perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in tap water showed about 37 percent degradation via cavitation, while plasma nearly eliminated both long- and short-chain PFAS.
Sebastian Reinecke from the HZDR explained the processes. The team aims to raise degradation rates above 80 percent and refine both methods to market readiness for cleaning contaminated water. The work is part of Germany's National Water Strategy and receives funding from the Helmholtz Association and the European Union.