The quality of freshwater systems is a critical concern, under increasing pressure from environmental stress, climate change, and pollution, particularly from microcontaminants like PFAS. PFAS are persistent pollutants that pose significant health risks even at low concentrations and resist conventional treatment methods. Existing removal techniques often fail to fully degrade PFAS and may contribute to secondary pollution, leaving the environment vulnerable.
To address these challenges, the PFASE-OUT project will develop an integrated approach that combines advanced technologies for the detection, concentration, and complete degradation of PFAS. By creating a hybrid process that incorporates membrane filtration with tailored degradation methods such as electrochemical oxidation, plasma treatment, UV, and biodegradation, we aim to address various PFAS types and chain lengths. This comprehensive approach will overcome the limitations of individual technologies, enhance treatment performance, and ensure that PFAS are not returned to the environment. The project will engage key stakeholders—including waterboards, industrial companies, technology providers, local authorities, and research institutions—to monitor and treat PFAS across diverse water sources, including surface water, groundwater, and both industrial and municipal wastewater. Our ultimate goal is to produce PFAS-free water, enabling safe reuse of treated effluents and ensuring sustainable water management practices that protect public health and the environment.

Objective of the PHASE-OUT project is the adaptation, development, and deployment of innovative technology hybrids
for detection, concentration, and maximal degradation of PFAS (long-chain, short-chain) from four practical water sources
(use cases), including surface water, groundwater, industrial and municipal wastewater.
The final goal is to provide robust, sustainable, and cost-effective solutions for PFAS contamination that safeguard water
quality and public health while promoting sustainable water management practices across all relevant water sources.

Our project aligns closely with the Key Innovation Agendas (KIAs), specifically targeting the priorities of subprogram 3C2:
Schoon Water, Schone Bodem, which contributes to Mission 3: Vitaal landelijk gebied in een klimaatbestendig Nederland.
• The project addresses various aspects included in Vital countryside in a climate-resilient Netherlands. Specifically, the impact and outcomes are relevant to innovation program 3C. Toekomstbestendig zoetwatersystemen.
• The project focuses on developing advanced purification technologies for removing and degrading PFAS from water and rapid PFAS monitoring to ensure water quality. This approach directly contributes to improving water quality. It aligns with the KIA program, which aims to enhance freshwater and groundwater quality by addressing pollution from point sources such as wastewater treatment plants and industrial effluents (Effect van decentrale zuiveringen op grotere
watersysteem). Specifically, the project targets the degradation of PFAS, a persistent and harmful microcontaminant, to prevent its discharge into surface waters (Zuiveringstechnologie voor afbraak persistente microverontreinigingen in water en bodem).
• The project promotes circular water use by treating effluents for reuse, which aligns with the KIA objectives for water conservation and reuse (Mogelijkheden uitgebreid voor hergebruik reststromen uit drink-/proces-/afvalwaterzuivering, 4C, 2E).
• The project explores combinations of existing technologies that do not rely on incineration and investigate nature
based solutions such as biodegradation to create the most sustainable process possible (Klimaatbestendige nature
based-systems voor waterzuivering, ST3). This includes examining separation technologies like membrane filtration,
where the concentrate is utilized for efficient PFAS degradation, thereby contributing to alternative solutions for
disposing of membrane concentrate (Duurzame alternatieven voor lozen membraanconcentraat, 2E).
• The project supports public health by providing new solutions for ensuring that drinking water is free from PFAS, aligning with the KIA goal of guaranteeing the availability of safe drinking water and enhancing public health.

The project is expected to provide a platform to:
• Gain insights into water quality: Understand the quality of the partners' water streams, including the types and concentrations of PFAS present and the amount discharged.
• High-throughput detection method: Develop an effect-based detection for initial screening, utilizing an array of PFAS binding proteins, some of these proteins linking to in vivo toxic effects. This enables detection of a broader range of PFAS
compounds than current analytical technologies.
• Study synergies between technologies: Create a platform to explore the synergies between different technologies for PFAS concentration and degradation.
• Technological advancement for on-site treatment: Provide industrial companies with technological advancements for on-site treatment of wastewater or surface/groundwater. The developed integrated process focuses on maximum
water recovery and preventing the discharge of contaminated water.
• Validate new technology hybrids: Roll out new technology combinations tested and validated with real water streams, opening new markets (in NL and abroad) and applications (PFAS from the four identified use cases, and as spinoff possibly for extracts of PFAS-unloaded adsorbents, or other microcontaminants/priority compounds such as pharmaceutical residues) for the technologies developed and commercialized by our partners.
• Encourage policy change: Persuade policymakers of promising alternative methods for the current approach to PFAS removal from water, i.e. adsorption and incineration, which is not environmentally friendly.