New hybrid ‘SonoBio’ technology aims to tackle ‘forever chemicals’ in the environment

'Forever chemicals' are a class of extremely persistent synthetic chemicals that, even at low levels, may increase cancer risk and cause hormonal disruption and developmental abnormalities.

The Surrey research team has been awarded £947,000 from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to conduct a first-of-its-kind pilot that will use ultrasound technology in combination with biodegradation to break down per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – or ‘forever chemicals’ – which are commonly found in products like pizza boxes, dental floss, and cookware.

Their novel SonoBio hybrid technology combines high-frequency ultrasound with the activity of microorganisms to treat PFAS and turn them into relatively harmless carbon dioxide and fluoride.  

“These chemicals are everywhere, found in nearly every person and countless everyday products. They're incredibly tough to break down, which is why they stick around in our bodies and the environment for decades,” Dr Madeleine Bussemaker, senior lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Surrey University, said in a statement.

According to the researchers, current methods struggle to fully degrade PFAS, especially when using biological processes alone. While high-frequency ultrasound can completely break down PFAS, it is most effective in certain forms and for high concentrations.

The engineering of biological processes, with microbial electrochemistry, can recover energy and make the process more sustainable. The researchers said that by combining high-frequency ultrasound with (electro)microbial action, SonoBio could be a powerful, sustainable solution for the complete breakdown and removal of PFAS from the environment.

“This is a strong project directed to address the important issue of the 'forever chemicals', ubiquitous substances affecting human, animal and environmental health and wellbeing,” said Claudio Avignone Rossa FRSB, a Professor of Systems Microbiology at Surrey University. “This is a multi- and inter-disciplinary collaboration that combines our strong basic and applied background in chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry and bioanalysis, allowing us to design strategies to degrade those pollutants and reduce their severe, long-lasting effects.”

The pilot is set to begin in 2025.