Coordination of European Research on Industrial Safety towards Smart and Sustainable Growth
PHAMA
PHotocatalytic decomposition of PFAS and their detection utilizing sustainable Advanced MAterials
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widely used in protective textiles due to their oil- and water-repellent properties that are essential for worker safety in hazardous industrial environments. These substances are extremely persistent, bioaccumulative and associated with adverse health and environmental effects, leading to their classification as substances of very high concern. The textile sector represents a significant share of global PFAS use, and PFAS-containing products release these substances throughout their life cycle, including during use, washing, recycling and disposal. Existing end-of-life solutions do not eliminate PFAS but instead transfer contamination to secondary waste streams. At the same time, regulatory pressure at EU level is increasing, while technically viable alternatives that preserve critical protective functions remain limited. Monitoring PFAS exposure relies on laboratory-based chromatographic methods that are costly, slow and unsuitable for routine or on-site occupational monitoring. PHAMA addresses these challenges by targeting the full PFAS life cycle, focusing on controlled degradation and accessible detection rather than simple substitution.
The project investigates whether PFAS-based textile functionalities can be preserved during use while enabling controlled degradation at end-of-life. It examines the feasibility of integrating photocatalytic materials into fluoropolymer coatings to trigger PFAS decomposition under controlled conditions using UVA radiation. The project explores zinc oxide nanoparticles as effective and safer photocatalysts compared to heavy-metal-based systems. Another key research question concerns whether surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy combined with selective substrate functionalization and machine learning can achieve sensitivities comparable to chromatographic methods. Additional questions address PFAS degradation pathways, by-product formation, nanoparticle structure–function relationships and the contribution of different exposure routes to occupational health risks, as well as the use of integrated data to support regulatory assessment.
The project will deliver a proof-of-concept approach for self-degradable PFAS-containing textile coatings that retain oil-repellent performance during use and enable controlled degradation at end-of-life. Outputs include validated coating formulations combining fluoropolymers with zinc oxide nanoparticles, experimental data on PFAS degradation efficiency and by-products, and a PFAS detection platform based on SERS and machine learning capable of trace-level detection in complex matrices. Additional outputs comprise validated sensing protocols benchmarked against chromatographic methods, datasets supporting reproducibility and regulatory-oriented recommendations for occupational and environmental policy.
The project is implemented over 24 months through six interconnected work packages. - WP1 – Project management. - WP2 – Sensing of PFAS using SERS and machine learning. - WP3 – Modification of protective textiles with photocatalytic coatings. - WP4 – Advanced materials development. - WP5 – Characterisation and validation of degradation and detection. - WP6 – Regulatory analysis and recommendations.
BMK
Austria
