The ubiquitous occurrence of PFAS in air, water, soil, and living organisms, necessitates immediate attention, urging the development of comprehensive mitigation strategies.
In a joint project between the University of Vienna, TU Wien and the AIT led by Thomas Reichenauer, Thilo Hofmann and his co-researchers are tackling PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from different research perspectives. They dive deep into the analytics and patterns of this group of substances and work on fingerprints and the occurrence of PFAS as well as remedy options.
By means of high-resolution mass spectrometry, the researchers detect the substances and their degradation products. In the lab, they try to simulate the variable conditions existing in nature and test different approaches. The scientists have high hopes for the use of modern nanotechnology, namely a combination of green vegetable coal and non-valent nano-iron. Both industry partners in the project are then responsible for adding this in cement pillars or bringing it to deep soil layers by means of a lance. "We do not know if it will actually work, but at least we have a solution".
Their project started on 1 January 2024.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology through the Kommunal-Kredit Public Consulting (KPC).