New PFAS Removal Technologies Unveiled in Australia and Denmark

Researchers at Flinders University in Australia have engineered a 2.8 nm molecular cage that can trap up to four short‑chain PFAS molecules at a time. When incorporated into a porous silica filter, the cage removed 90–98 % of both short‑ and long‑chain PFAS from water samples, reducing concentrations in South Australian tap water to below 1 ng/L, and can be regenerated for repeated use.

A separate team at Aarhus University in Denmark demonstrated that intense ultraviolet light generates hydrogen radicals capable of breaking down PFAS. In laboratory tests, the method degraded up to 49 % of the PFAS variant GenX and achieved 21 % defluorination within five hours, highlighting a potential pathway for destroying these persistent chemicals rather than merely capturing them.