Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) researchers have developed an innovative magnetic resin that could revolutionize the removal of harmful PFAS “forever chemicals” from wastewater treatment plants. The $7 million project, led by Dr. Cheng Zhang with Dr. Zicheng Su, will trial this technology across Australian facilities over three years.
Unlike energy-intensive conventional methods like incineration, this magnetic ion-exchange resin operates at room temperature and can extract PFAS from semi-solid effluent. The cleaned biosolids can then be safely reused as agricultural fertilizer, addressing concerns about contaminated compost products.
With funding from commercial partners ($5 million) and a federal CRC-P grant ($2 million), the consortium including ViridAU, ALS, and Shimadzu aims to scale up production. Australia produces over one million wet tonnes of biosolids annually, making this technology crucial for environmental protection and food safety.
The patented technology positions Australia as a global leader in PFAS management as international regulations tighten, offering communities worldwide an effective solution for these persistent environmental contaminants.
Source:The University of Queensland