A 17th September episode of Euronews Tech Talks investigates what it is like to live in one of Europe’s hotspots for PFAS contamination. This podcast episode offers listeners an insight into the issue by interviewing Jeroen Van Reeth, a resident of Zwijndrecht—the Belgian town affected by pollution linked to the chemical company 3M.
Jeroen has lived with his wife less than a kilometre from the chemical plant for twelve years, but only recently discovered the environmental and health risks associated with PFAS. These synthetic “forever chemicals,” characterised by strong carbon–fluorine bonds, are highly resistant to degradation. They have been widely used in products such as fire-fighting foams, adhesives and non-stick coatings like Teflon.
The episode delves deeper into the challenge of PFAS remediation with contributions from two experts: Hans Peter Arp, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and Madeleine Bussemaker, from the University of Surrey. They explain whether—and how—it might be possible to contain or destroy these persistent substances. Several soil treatment techniques are under study, from soil washing to the use of activated carbon, though both raise concerns about possible re-release into the environment. Research, however, is advancing, and new methods are being tested to achieve safe and cost-effective disposal.
One promising example is Mantisonix, a project co-founded by Arp, which has developed an ultrasonic technology designed for the complete, efficient and sustainable destruction of PFAS.
Projects like Mantisonix share the same mission as Aragorn: protecting soil health and developing science-based solutions to mitigate contamination.
