Technology developed at The University of Queensland can remove harmful PFAS and ‘forever chemicals’ from water so they can be used in renewable batteries.
Researchers at UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have made a filter that quickly and cleanly captures per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The filter contains a patented sorbent solution that uses an ion-exchange technique to isolate and remove the PFAS particles as the water passes through it.
Polymer chemist Dr Cheng Zhang said fluorine-based materials can be harvested from the filter. He’s working on using them to improve clean energy technology.
“People are increasingly aware of the risks that PFAS poses to human health and how long these chemicals persist in the natural environment,” Dr Zhang said. “Our filter technology removes harmful particles from water. In addition, those captured chemicals can be repurposed to help decarbonise the planet. The increasing demand for high-performance rechargeable batteries means manufacturers constantly search for new materials that improve batteries’ energy density, safety and cycling stability. Recycled PFAS has excellent properties for this purpose.”
Having successfully tested a prototype of the PFAS filter in a laboratory, Dr Zhang and Professor Jianhua Guo from UQ’s Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology will soon commence pilot testing in Brisbane and the US with $1 million backing from the Advance Queensland Industry Research Projects program.
Testing is being planned for various sites, including the Luggage Point Sewage Treatment Plant with water management company GHD, project management firm OCTA, and the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI).
In the project’s second year, an additional pilot site will be established to scale up testing.
“These demonstrations will be pivotal to scaling up our filter technology for industrial water infrastructure,” Dr Zhang said.
“If this testing goes as we believe it will, we hope to reach commercial production within 3 years.”
PFAS are synthetic chemicals used in consumer and industrial products because they resist heat, stains, grease and water. They persist in the environment and have been linked to various potential human health problems.
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