The FF-PFAS project aims to gain fundamental understanding about reclaiming and destroying PFAS compounds. This should allow to develop a ground-breaking solution for the complete mineralization of PFAS compounds. In short, FF-PFAS will generate new insights into an optimal strategy for PFAS breakdown and will identify the conditions under which complete mineralization can be achieved. This project builds on the fundamental chemical knowledge that will be developed at the molecular scale, across the meso-scale, to industrial applicability at the macro-scale. 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are everywhere

Since the 1940s, PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries in Europe and around the globe because of their unique chemical and physical properties, including oil and water repellence, temperature and chemical resistance, and surfactant properties. PFAS are found in everyday consumer products such as food packaging, frying pans, creams and cosmetics, non-stick stain repellent, and waterproof products, including clothes and other products used by outdoor enthusiasts. PFAS are also widely used in industrial applications (such as chrome plating and non-stick metal coatings) and for firefighting. 

High priority research

PFAS are highly persistent in the environment and can accumulate in the bodies of humans and animals, which adds to the total burden of chemicals to which people are exposed. In Europe, PFAS are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment and in organisms, and have been detected in air, soil, plants, and biota. This increases the risk of health impacts as certain PFASs are toxic for reproduction and can harm development. Several PFASs may cause cancer, while some of them are also suspected of interfering with the human hormonal system. Therefore, the complete remediation and mineralization of PFAS compounds is a high priority for our society. 

Bringing together the value chain

The FF-PFAS project brings together different actors from this value chain (the chemical industry itself, chemistry-based technologies, waste treatment companies, and academic expertise present in Flanders) which will lead to the development of a sustainable destruction chain (from sequestration to destruction) that eventually liberates our health, environment, and society from the significant burden of PFAS. By implementing scientific understanding and by actively applying the results obtained, companies can economically benefit from the results and insights. 

Project details

  • Project type: cSBO
  • Approved on: 15/12/2022 
  • Duration: 01/04/2023 – 31/03/2025 
  • Total budget: €1.649.814 
  • Subsidy: €1.649.81

Project Partners

The FF-PFAS partners (KU Leuven, UGent, UAntwerpen and VITO) will use their unique experimental equipment and analysis capabilities in combination with their strong knowledge about fundamental reaction engineering, catalysis, advanced chemo-informatics and chemical reactor design for investigating high and low temperature alternatives for the destruction of PFAS. 

Contact

Questions about this project? Please contact catalyst Bert Boekaerts (bboekaerts@catalisti.be).