Scientists found two powerful new ways to destroy forever chemicals
Researchers in Germany are testing two new technologies, hydrodynamic cavitation and cold atmospheric plasma, to destroy 'forever chemicals' (PFAS) in wastewater. These methods aim to break down the highly stable carbon-fluorine bonds that make PFAS resistant to conventional treatment.
Why it matters
Developing effective ways to destroy PFAS is essential for protecting water supplies and public health from these persistent, potentially carcinogenic industrial pollutants.
Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) are testing two technologies designed to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a vast family of industrial chemicals known for resisting natural and conventional breakdown processes.
The first approach uses hydrodynamic cavitation, which creates and collapses tiny vapor bubbles in contaminated water. The second combines cold atmospheric plasma with gas dispersion. Analyses performed by specialists at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) confirmed that PFAS molecules were being degraded and that fluoride was released during treatment.
Once the technologies are sufficiently developed for commercial use, they could help industries treat contaminated wastewater before it reaches rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Some PFAS are suspected of damaging genetic material and raising cancer risk, although the biological effects of many compounds in this group are still poorly understood. More than 10,000 short-chain and long-chain industrial chemicals are classified as PFAS.
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