AQUA-CLEAR aims to remove PFAS in water

In the Water4All project AQUA-CLEAR, researchers and companies are developing a new technology to remove per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water. PFAS are highly persistent chemicals that can harm both the environment and human health. The technology will be tested in the laboratory, in a pilot facility at IVL, and later in industrial processes to provide cleaner water and improved water reuse.

In the Water4All project AQUA-CLEAR, researchers from several universities, IVL, and industrial partners will develop a new and more sustainable technology for removing PFAS in water. PFAS are extremely persistent chemicals that can be found in, among other things, drinking water, wastewater and landfill leachate.

The project is based on hydrodynamic cavitation, in which bubbles form and collapse under high pressure, enabling PFAS to be removed. The work will be carried out in stages: first in the laboratory, then at pilot scale at IVL’s SWIC facility, and finally in an industrial setting within a galvanising process in Turkey.

IVL is leading the pilot studies and is responsible for evaluating environmental impacts, costs and the potential for full-scale implementation. The results are expected to deliver cleaner water, reduce the spread of PFAS, and contribute to increased water reuse.

The project partners include Sabancı University (SU), KTH, Gdańsk University of Technology (GUT), Oxford Brookes University (OBU), Borçelik, and IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute.