Plasma plus cavitation: Cold atmospheric plasma destroys toxic pollutants at the interface between gas bubbles and water. Credit: B. Schröder/HZDR
Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have developed two processes—hydrodynamic cavitation and cold atmospheric plasma combined with gas dispersion—to break down per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), industrial chemicals that are extremely resistant to chemical degradation. The work has been published in Chemical Engineering Journal Advances and Scientific Reports, respectively.
To support this effort, experts from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) conducted analyses that confirmed PFAS degradation and the release of fluoride. Once commercially viable, these processes could be used in industry to significantly reduce the release of PFAS into bodies of water.
While some PFAS are suspected of altering genetic material and increasing the risk of cancer, the biological effects of many others remain unknown. This group of substances comprises more than 10,000 short- and long-chain industrial chemicals that owe their exceptional chemical resistance to their highly stable carbon-fluorine bonds.
PFAS enter rivers and oceans via wastewater and are spreading worldwide. High concentrations of PFAS have also recently been detected in the Elbe River—a potential health hazard to plants, animals and humans alike.
