They are nicknamed “forever chemicals“because, once dispersed in the environment, they practically never degrade. We are obviously talking about PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) which accumulate in water, soil and living organisms, entering the food chain and causing potentially harmful effects on human health and ecosystems.
For years, scientists and institutions around the world have been looking for effective solutions to eliminate them at the root, and not just to filter or isolate them. While traditional activated carbon or reverse osmosis systems manage to retain part of the PFAS, the real objective of research today is their complete degradation, i.e. the breaking of the chemical bonds that make them so persistent.
And it is precisely along this path that an Italian project is inserted that attracted great attention at Ecomondo 2025, the international fair dedicated to the ecological transition. We are talking about an innovative technology capable of degrading PFAS in landfill leachate, developed by Acque del Chiampo in collaboration with K-INN Tech, a spin-off of the University of Padua.
The system, in the patenting phase, was presented at the stand of Viveracqua, the consortium that brings together the 12 public water managers of the Veneto, with the collaboration of Utilitalia, the federation of Italian public service companies.
The technology has also received an important national recognition: the Certificate of Good Territorial Practice for a more Sustainable Italy by ASviS (Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development), the network that coordinates over 300 entities committed to the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
As an aggregation of public managers, we believe that the greatest value of experiences like this lies in being able to make the results available to other territories – commented Monica Manto, president of Viveracqua -. Water security is a complex process that requires long-term vision, continuity and shared responsibility.
How the new technology that “destroys” PFAS works
The heart of this solution is a high-efficiency experimental burner, developed by K-INN Tech researchers. Through a controlled thermal process, the system manages to break the chemical bonds that make PFAS practically indestructible, leading to their mineralization. In practice, substances are decomposed into stable and non-toxic elements, with an average yield of 95%.
Unlike conventional techniques that simply trap PFAS in the filters, this process actually destroys them, preventing them from being released back into the environment. It is a huge step forward towards a future in which forever chemicals can finally become just a memory.
For some years we have been working to achieve total, and not partial, degradation – explains Micol Della Zassa, CEO of K-INN Tech –. This technology represents an important milestone and a solid foundation from which to build further process improvements.
Looking for solutions against PFAS
The project was born from a multi-year commitment by Acque del Chiampo, which since 2013 – the year in which the serious problem of PFAS pollution emerged in the Vicenza area – has invested over 37 million euros for the safety and extension of water networks, in addition to filtration using activated carbon.
Today, thanks to this research, the Venetian company opens a new phase, that of actual reclamation, in line with the European objectives of reducing pollution and protecting water resources.
We must think not only about the present, but also about the future – underlines Andrea Chiorboli, general director of Acque del Chiampo –. Today, in the international showcase of Ecomondo, we propose a technology that we want to further implement, involving institutions, research bodies and investors.
The experimentation also represents a concrete example of virtuous collaboration between public and private, which combines scientific expertise and environmental responsibility.
This technology is the result of a shared path and represents a sign of hope for those who today have to face the drama of PFAS – recalled Renzo Marcigaglia, president of Acque del Chiampo –. It is just the beginning of a journey that we want to continue together, to achieve the definitive elimination of these dangerous substances.
With the presentation of this promising technology, Ecomondo once again confirms itself as the ideal showcase for innovations that combine research, sustainability and environmental protection, offering concrete solutions against PFAS pollution.
