Researchers at Oxford Brookes University have developed an innovative method using hydrodynamic cavitation to remove toxic PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from wastewater. These “forever chemicals” have infiltrated water supplies worldwide and pose significant health risks. This groundbreaking approach could revolutionize wastewater treatment and make it safer and more sustainable globally.
Tackling a Global Threat
PFAS chemicals are a worldwide concern, considered a pervasive human health threat present in water supplies around the world. First developed in the 1930s, these man-made chemicals came to be used anywhere from waterproof jackets to pizza boxes and Teflon-coated frying pans. Yet by the early 2000s, researchers at the Environmental Protection Agency had confirmed more toxic PFAS speciation that scientists identified in the 1970s
PFAS, which have been associating with an array of health-related conditions — from ulcerative colitis to thyroid issues, cholesterol levels and liver damage including cancer. These forever chemicals coming in water bodies have become a major issue to be resolved globally, as they are majorly released into the environment through numerous routes like industrial wastewater, landfills, domestic wastewater, sewage and agricultural run-offs.
A Groundbreaking Solution
So a team from Oxford Brookes University has struck upon a new and exciting solution to the problem. Courtesy of Amity Buckman/University of MelbournePhoto: Professor Tony Wong and George KikorosAuthorsA company called LBD Water that has just invested $4m into LodeStar captures rainwater, soaks it all in graphene to get hold of the PFAS contamination, sends it one way up another film and then leaves water behind.Now you need a new machine naming a hydrodynamic reactor which separately destroys gross PFASs from the rest of what remains.
The reactor does so by bringing the water back and forth to create minuscule bubbles, which remove impurities. The ability of this technology to improve waste water treatment and create sustainable communities from around the world is groundbreaking. At a Swedish wastewater treatment plant, the reactor was able to remove 11 common PFAS varieties at almost 36% with just half an hour of test time and without help from any other chemical.
Scaling Up for Global Impact
The researchers plan to scale up their reactor for treating greater volumes of PFAS-contaminated wastewater. Leal managed the development of an experimental and laboratory-scale filtration system to treat up to 20 liters of wastewater containing PFAS, and the investigators hope in next steps to scale up further with a project that involves treating volumes as large as 200 liters at a Swedish wastewater treatment plant.
Through such research the fundamentals of PFAS removal are being developed and using various reactors in different countries, allowing this technology to be available for wastewater treatment as demanded by the EU by 2035 (all PFAS containing waste must be treated). This innovative technology could provide clean, healthy solutions to communities globally.
