A new PFAS research centre in collaboration between DTU, University of Copenhagen, University of Southern Denmark and Aarhus University will gather new knowledge about the effects of PFAS. Many of the more than 10,000 chemical substances in PFAS are problematic because they do not degrade in nature and can accumulate in humans and animals.
The new PFAS centre will be located at DTU and will conduct research in the areas of environment, food and health. In addition, the centre will provide knowledge to the public, advice authorities and politicians on solutions and strategies to prevent, contain and clean up PFAS pollution.
'We need more knowledge to ensure that the solutions we propose are long-term and that society makes the right investments. The environment is full of PFAS and the problem is so big that we can't clean up everything. In order to prioritize efforts, we are creating new knowledge in a number of research areas. We also assist the authorities in dealing with acute problems, such as the fact that we currently have 3,000 old landfills in Denmark from which PFAS can leak into the environment,' says Anders Baun, head of the PFAS Centre and professor at DTU Sustain.
The PFAS Centre is funded with a grant of DKK 45 million from the Ministry of the Environment and will support the national PFAS action plan adopted by a majority in the Danish Parliament in 2024. As early as 2025, the PFAS Centre will initiate a number of research projects ranging from
- PFAS releases from waste treatment plants.
- development of new methods to investigate and prevent PFAS contamination of soil, groundwater and drinking water.
- sustainable PFAS-free alternatives in e.g. the green transition.
- analytical-chemical development of methods for possible overlooked PFAS.
- uptake of PFAS in animals and crops.
- occurrence of PFAS in feed and food.
In the field of health, a project will also ensure a comprehensive overview of knowledge and research results on how PFAS affects human health. Research projects initiated in 2025 will be fully funded by the PFAS Centre, after which the ambition is for the PFAS Centre to co-finance research and knowledge about PFAS in Denmark in 2026 and 2027.
In addition to providing research-based knowledge, the PFAS Centre's mission is to contribute to both public information and advice to the authorities. The PFAS Centre will coordinate and gather research efforts and competence building across the four partner universities and further out into the relevant Danish knowledge environments. The coordination also includes the involvement of international researchers and experts.
The PFAS Centre is funded until 2028, and in addition to the national efforts, Denmark, together with four other EU countries, is working towards a comprehensive ban on the use of PFAS throughout the EU.
