Italy's MASE and ENEA launch 2.5 million‑euro PFAS monitoring program

The Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MASE) and the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) have signed a €2.5 million agreement to monitor and research per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater and treatment sludge. The collaboration involves ISPRA, the National Institute of Health, and the CNR‑Irsa water research institute, covering water, soil and air matrices across Italy and the EU.

The programme will (1) analyse PFAS presence in wastewater and sludge, (2) develop and validate innovative bioremediation technologies using microbial consortia, and (3) assess toxicological impacts on the environment and human health. ENEA researcher Barbara Benassi noted that the work will also evaluate the risk of re‑using reclaimed water in agriculture and the potential food‑chain exposure to PFAS.

The initiative aims to generate data for risk assessment, improve removal technologies—including incineration studies—and support compliance with forthcoming EU drinking‑water limits that will take effect in 2026.