Jefferson Lab in Newport News, Va., recently received a $7.5 million grant from the Department of Energy to adapt a particle accelerator that could eventually be used in water treatment plants to break down “forever chemicals.”
The technology is currently lab-locked but Jeff Lab staff scientist John Vennekate, along with accelerator scientist Gianluigi Ciovati, is working to develop a compact accelerator for wastewater remediation.
“This funding will help bridge the gap between our current proof of principle of this technology and a level where, with more time and investment, we could make a demonstrator that could be used by industry,” Vennekate said.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — or PFAS — are a class of compounds used to make products resistant to water, stains and grease. The military contributed to PFAS pollution with its use of firefighting foam laced with the chemicals. The foam was used during military training exercises in the 1950s, but has since been limited to emergency situations, the Navy has said. The substances have been dubbed “forever chemicals” because most do not degrade in the environment.
Public concern for PFAS trickling into neighborhoods by way of groundwater grew in 2023 when the Environmental Protection Agency recommended a national standard for the contaminants in drinking water. Its proposed rule outlines that PFAS should have a concentration level much further below the…
