The Center’s Research in PFAS

PFAS – the so-called "forever chemicals" – have caused great concern because they do not break down in nature and can end up in our groundwater and drinking water. But how do these substances actually move through heterogeneous and possibly fractured soil, and what can we do to stop them? A new research project is trying to find the answers.

Researchers are investigating how PFAS seep from contaminated sites and further down into the groundwater, where they risk spreading to drinking water wells. The goal is to measure and simulate how fast and how far the substances move, and to test new methods to limit the contamination.

Two of the solutions the researchers are looking at are PFAS Monitored Retention (PMR) and PFAS Enhanced Retention (PER). Both methods aim to slow down PFAS’ journey through the soil so that they do not reach the groundwater in harmful amounts. PMR is about monitoring and understanding how PFAS are naturally retained in the soil, while PER takes it a step further and tries to improve that retention so that even more PFAS are stopped before they reach the drinking water.

The project aims to give us a better understanding of how PFAS behave in soil and how we can best protect our groundwater. Ultimately, it may lead to more effective solutions for managing the growing PFAS contamination in Denmark.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Associate Professor Klaus Mosthaf
Project participants: Laura Morsing, Henning Wienken Johann, Annika S. Fjordbøge, Poul L. Bjerg 
Title: PFAS fate, transport, and mitigation in soil and groundwater: Flux and duration in heterogenous media (PFAS Flux)
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2028
Budget: 4.6M DKK
Partners: DTU, KU, AU, GEO, UA (US), GSI (US)

Photo: Colourbox

PFAS can seep from contaminated areas and end up in both groundwater and surface water, where they pose a risk to the environment and health. The research project investigates whether biochar can be a sustainable solution to slow the spread of PFAS.

Biochar is a type of activated carbon or charcoal made from biomass, and which can bind PFAS very strongly. By adjusting the production methods – for example, by changing the temperature during production or adding additives such as iron – a material can be created that quickly and strongly binds both short- and long-chain PFAS compounds and works for both charged and uncharged PFAS.

To use the biochar effectively, it is shaped into millimeter-sized, stable granules that allow water to flow through while simultaneously binding PFAS. In this way, it can be part of a "permeable wall" – a type of soil filter made of biochar, which is placed either vertically or horizontally in the ground to stop PFAS before they reach the aquatic environment.

The researchers will carry out a series of experiments where they test how well different biochar can capture PFAS – both through field and laboratory tests. Among other things, they will examine how effectively the biochar retains PFAS depending on the type of biochar, the water flow, and the composition of the water. In this way, they can identify the best composition of the material and optimize the design of the permeable walls.

If the project shows promising results, biochar could become an important and cost-effective tool in the fight against PFAS contamination. In the future, it may be used on a larger scale to protect both drinking water and nature from the harmful chemicals.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: H.C. Bruun Hansen
Ttile: Immobilization of PFAS using biochar (CONTAIN) 
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2027
Budget: 3M DKK 
Partners: KU, DTU, NGI (NO), NMBU (NO), Eurofins, Niras

PFAS are used in technologies that are important for the green transition, such as solar cells, wind turbines, heat pumps, and batteries.

The research project substantiates how we can assess suitable alternatives that must meet a wide range of requirements, including safety, functionality, and sustainability. The researchers will investigate various tools that can help make the best decisions, including:

• The EU’s Framework for “Safe and Sustainable by Design” – a framework for the development of safe, new materials and chemicals.
• Alternatives Assessment – a systematic way to compare new chemicals with existing PFAS-based solutions.
• Life Cycle Analysis – an assessment of the overall environmental impact of materials from production to waste management.

The researchers hope to create a foundation for better decisions about PFAS substitution in future green technologies, so that the materials we use in the transition to renewable energy do not create new environmental problems.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Rune Hjorth
Title: Tools for assessing PFAS alternatives in technologies for the green transition (GreenTrans)
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2026
Budget: 400,000 DKK 
Partners: DTU, SDU

Photo: Colourbox

PFAS are known to contaminate soil and water. But what about the air? The research project investigates how much PFAS are released into the air from Danish landfills and wastewater treatment plants – and whether they represent a hidden source of pollution in our environment.

When waste breaks down at landfills or is treated at wastewater facilities, volatile PFAS compounds can evaporate into the air and spread with the wind. These chemicals can potentially contribute to air pollution and later be deposited in nature via rain, where they may end up in streams, lakes, and groundwater.

To get a clear picture of how large a source the waste sector is for PFAS pollution in the air, the researchers will:

• Develop new analytical methods to accurately measure volatile PFAS compounds.
• Carry out measurements at landfills and wastewater treatment plants to map the levels of volatile PFAS emissions.
• Assess whether these sources significantly contribute to air pollution with PFAS.

If the project shows that wastewater treatment plants and landfills are major sources of PFAS in the air, it could mean that we have overlooked an important pathway of contamination. With that knowledge, authorities can consider whether stricter regulations or new technologies are needed to limit PFAS emissions from the waste sector. The project is an important step toward understanding and combating PFAS contamination – not only in water and soil, but also in the air we breathe.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Charlotte Scheutz
Title: WASTAIR – PFAS air emissions from the waste sector (PFAS WASTAIR)
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2028
Budget: 2.8M DKK 
Partners: DTU, KU

Photo: Colourbox

Some types of PFAS, the so-called neutral PFAS (nPFAS), are harder to detect than others. The research project will develop a set of analytical methods to identify and semi-quantify nPFAS, using techniques such as gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, total fluorine methods, and fluorine-NMR. The goal is to gain a better overview of sources of nPFAS and their potential health effects on humans and the environment.

The researchers will take samples from a range of products and materials with potentially high PFAS content, such as:

• Coatings for textiles, stone/concrete, wood, metal, leather, etc.
• Lubricants
• Pesticides and fertilizers
• Wastewater sludge
• Landfill samples
• Creams and makeup
• Food packaging and plastics
• Contact lenses and medicine
• Animals in close contact with soil, e.g. livers from wild boars and hares

The project will also provide input on which PFAS substances should be monitored in future environmental programs.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Xenia Trier
Title: Neutral: Analytical strategy for identification and semi-quantification of neutral PFAS in products and other matrices with high PFAS Content (PFAS Neutral)
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2028
Budget: 3.5M DKK 
Partners: KU, DTU, AU, ORU (SE)

Photo: Colourbox

There are many more PFAS compounds than we usually analyze in monitoring programs. The project aims to develop methods to identify hidden chemicals in environmental and food samples, so we can better understand the extent of PFAS occurrence and exposure.

When researchers measure PFAS in a sample, they typically focus on 20–50 individual substances, depending on the issue. However, measurements show that the total PFAS content in a sample is often much higher. The difference consists of unknown or less well-studied compounds – some of the several thousand PFAS that cannot all be routinely measured.

The project will further develop advanced screening methods that make it possible to identify more PFAS compounds using so-called non-target screening techniques – an analytical chemistry method for detecting new PFAS substances that are not known in advance to exist in the samples.

Unknown PFAS compounds can vary from sample to sample. The project will therefore analyze several types of environmental and food samples to gain a better understanding of which PFAS are otherwise present in the environment and to which we may potentially be exposed.

Non-target screening methods are primarily used to identify unknown substances without quantifying their concentration in the samples. The project will also work on new approaches to estimate concentrations without classical calibration. In general, the project will focus on analytical quality and investigate whether standardized procedures can be developed to increase the chances that the methods can be used in future official monitoring programs.

Once more of the unknown PFAS are mapped, authorities can use that knowledge to adjust regulations and reduce pollution.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Karin Vorkamp
Title: Analytical methods for deciphering the unknown fraction of ΣPFAS: Suspect and non-target screening (PFAS Suspect)
Started: June 2025
Expected end date: November 2027
Budget: 2.5M DKK 
Partners: AU, DTU, KU

Photo: Colourbox

The research project will investigate whether and where PFAS accumulate in pigs, and how much can end up on our plates.

The researchers will carry out a controlled experiment with pigs from weaning to slaughter. The animals will receive feed that either contains naturally occurring PFAS or is supplemented with artificially high levels of PFAS to simulate extreme exposures, during the first growth period from weaning at 7 kg until 15 kg body weight.

The project will examine:

• Whether and where PFAS accumulate in the pig – for example, in muscles, liver, and fat, which are typically used for food products.
• How quickly PFAS are excreted from the body.
• What significance early exposure has for PFAS levels in the slaughter-ready pig at 110 kg.

The results can give us a better understanding of how much PFAS humans are exposed to through meat products. They will also help the researchers improve models that predict how PFAS are transferred from feed to animals – and thus, how they can end up in the food chain.

The study may help clarify whether there is a need for stricter regulation of PFAS content in feed to protect consumers.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Tina Skau Nielsen 
Title: PFAS uptake, accumulation, and tissue distribution in pigs (PFAS Pigs)
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2026
Budget: 2.4M DKK 
Partners: AU, DTU

Photo: Colourbox

The research project investigates how much PFAS are found in Danish hares and pheasants – and what it means for food safety.

The project analyzes liver and muscle samples from hares and game birds in Denmark. The goal is to map where PFAS contamination is highest and how it can affect hunters and others who eat game. The researchers will, among other things:

• Measure the levels of PFAS in animals from different parts of Denmark.
• Examine whether hares and pheasants can be used as “nature’s test subjects” to monitor contamination in the landscape.
• Prepare a map of Denmark showing where the game has the highest PFAS levels.
• Assess whether game meat can be a source of PFAS exposure for the Danish population.

Many Danes eat game, but we still know too little about whether it contains harmful PFAS. If the researchers find high levels in certain areas, it may lead to new recommendations for hunters and consumers.

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Agnieszka Anna Niklas
Title: Presence of PFAS in game (PFAS Game)
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2027
Budget: 2.4M DKK 
Partners: DTU, KU, AU, AAU

Photo: Colourbox

PFAS contamination has, in recent years, caused concern, but how much do we actually know about how PFAS affect our health? The research project reviews the existing knowledge about PFAS exposure in Denmark and the possible health risks – and examines where there are still major gaps in our understanding.

Researchers will systematically review reports from authorities and organizations to obtain an overall overview of what we know about health effects related to PFAS exposure. International studies have already indicated that long-term PFAS exposure for the most well-studied PFAS may be associated with: increased risk of cancer, hormonal disturbances, weakened immune system, and problems with fertility and fetal development.

The researchers will also examine the current knowledge about Danes’ PFAS exposure – both from drinking water, food, and other sources. Finally, the project will map the biggest gaps in our knowledge about health effects related to PFAS exposure – both the effects of the PFAS that are already covered by a ban and of the substances that are still permitted to be used. What do we still need to investigate in order to assess the long-term consequences for public health?

Facts about the project

Project Leader: Toke Winther
Title: Summary of health effects associated with PFAS exposure (PFAS HealthRev)
Started: 2025
Expected end year: 2026
Budget: 779,000 DKK 
Partners: DTU, SDU, AU

Photo: Colourbox