Wastewater research targets toxic ‘forever chemicals’

The research team has developed a new machine called a hydrodynamic reactor that uses bubbles which form and collapse due to changes in pressure, a process called cavitation.

The reactor removes toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ from water.

PFAS chemicals were invented in the 1930s and used in convenience products like waterproof clothing, pizza boxes, nonstick pans, and stain-resistant carpets. Concerns were raised about these chemicals being toxic in the 1970s, and confirmed by scientists in the early 2000s.

According to the Oxford Brookes team, removing PFAS chemicals from water sources is a global challenge as they are released into water sources through industry wastewater, landfills containing contaminated products, domestic wastewater, sewage and agricultural run-off. 

In a statement, professor Iakovos Tzanakis, who specialises in Engineering Materials at Oxford Brookes and is one of the study’s lead researchers, said: “Once contaminated water is released into rivers, lakes and seas, it eventually infiltrates our public water supplies, including our domestic drinking water. Our challenge has been to find a way of effectively treating water to remove PFAS chemicals sustainably and at a scale.