Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of substances encompassing thousands of substances that have unique and highly desirable properties such as being resistant to heat under extreme temperatures and being water and grease repellent. However, PFAS do not break down in the environment, can recirculate in the water cycle, can accumulate in animals and can exert toxic effects. They are referred to as “forever chemicals”. The network PFASnet will address the challenge of the practical management of PFAS to protect the environment and human health by considering both proactive and reactive strategies.
PFASnet brings a multidisciplinary team together to close knowledge gaps related to social data, monitoring and analytical methods and remediation techniques. Whilst a large proportion of the population is exposed to PFAS in their daily lives, PFAS awareness varies considerably geographically. Providing information to increase awareness and by considering citizen’s perceptions of PFAS risk as well as how labels can be used to inform choices, PFASnet will support a reduction of PFAS at the source. There are several analytical methods available for PFAS in various environmental media, however their accessibility varies across European countries. PFASnet will level the playing field making it possible for all countries to comply with legislative obligations as well as support better monitoring campaigns. Current remediation techniques for PFAS in drinking water and sludge range from well tested field scale methods to highly innovative bench scale. PFASnet will close the gap to allow the identification of optimal methods for different geo-economic situations.
Project funding:
EU COST Programme
Project results:
During the course of the PFASnet project, it is planned to produce outcomes that are significant from the perspectives of science, technology, policy and public awareness, which would facilitate a transition from fragmented PFAS research and isolated technological solutions to integrated, practical strategies for managing PFAS pollution.
Planned outcomes:
• A social database tailored to European countries, compiling information on the public’s knowledge, understanding and perception of risks associated with PFAS;
• Information materials prepared in local languages to raise public awareness of PFAS, their risks and their impact on health and the environment;
• Fact sheets on PFAS labelling and risk communication measures, aimed at consumers, industry and regulatory authorities;
• a publicly accessible PFAS monitoring database, developed in accordance with open data and FAIR principles;
• best practice methods for the analysis of PFAS and TFA in different environmental media, including drinking water, surface water, wastewater and sewage sludge;
• results of inter-laboratory comparisons for the determination of PFAS in sewage sludge, and standardised recommendations for sampling, storage, transport and analysis;
• best practice guidelines for treatment methods for PFAS-contaminated water and sludge, assessing their effectiveness, costs and environmental impact;
• recommendations on the monitoring and removal of TFA and other highly mobile PFAS compounds;
• information material on the compliance of analytical methods, monitoring and pollution control solutions with legislative requirements;
• academic publications, open-access datasets, training courses, seminars, short-term research placements, conference papers and applications for new international projects.
Period of project implementation: 2026-10-29 - 2030-10-28
Project partners: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Portugal, Sweden, Italy, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France
