Collaborative research: FEC: TRI-state collaborative for defluorination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

The National Science Foundation's Integrative Activities program (CFDA 47.083) awarded the University of Delaware a $3.6 million Project Grant on September 1, 2025, to lead a tri-state collaborative research initiative addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) defluorination. Spanning Delaware, Alabama, and South Carolina, this four-year project (completion date: August 31, 2029) delivers integrated research, technology development, and workforce training services focused on PFAS removal and conversion across water, air, and soil environments. The collaborative consortium includes Delaware State University, University of Alabama at Huntsville, Alabama A&M University, University of South Carolina, Clemson University, and Benedict College. Key research deliverables include advancing PFAS adsorption and electrochemical separation technologies, uncovering mechanisms for selective electrochemical and plasma-assisted PFAS reduction, and designing energy-efficient modular systems operating within a circular economy framework. The project integrates expertise across materials science, separations, reaction engineering, electrochemistry, process systems engineering, multiscale modeling, artificial intelligence, and social science.

The initiative delivers substantial education and workforce development services, training skilled educators, scientists, and engineers to address PFAS challenges while advancing national health and economic growth. A notable sub-award to Delaware State University (awarded February 18, 2026) includes community-based survey research across Newark, Delaware; Columbia, South Carolina; and Huntsville, Alabama, designed to recruit approximately 187 participants from diverse demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds to assess PFAS awareness and knowledge in relation to measured PFAS contamination levels and community characteristics. Together, these research and educational activities aim to revolutionize defluorination technologies and establish regional research capacity and infrastructure for PFAS mitigation while contributing to workforce development in STEM fields.

Abstract

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals, and certain legacy PFAS may pose health and environmental risks due to the strong chemical bonds. This project addresses the challenge of PFAS removal and conversion by integrating expertise in materials science, separations, reaction engineering, electrochemistry, process systems, multiscale modeling, artificial intelligence, and social science. Spanning delaware, alabama, and south carolina, the project aims to build regional research capacity and infrastructure to support PFAS mitigation within a circular economy framework. Led by the university of delaware, in collaboration with delaware state university, university of alabama at huntsville, alabama a & m university, university of south carolina, clemson university, and benedict college, the project has the potential to revolutionize defluorination technologies across water, air, and soil, impacting medical, agricultural, and industrial sectors. Education and outreach efforts will train skilled educators, scientists, and engineers to tackle PFAS challenges and advance national health, prosperity, and economic growth. The project will employ a multi-scale research framework, integrating experiments and modeling, to create innovative knowledge and robust technologies for PFAS separation and conversion, aiming for near-zero fluoro-pollution. IT will address critical knowledge gaps in PFAS concentration and defluorination within a circular economy context, while tackling engineering challenges, such as complex water matrices, pilot-scale testing, and environmental and cost analyses. The major research goals include: (i) advancing PFAS adsorption and electrochemical separation across diverse water sources; (II) uncovering mechanisms for selective electrochemical and plasma-assisted PFAS reduction; and (III) designing energy-efficient, modular systems that couple up-concentration with reduction processes. The project will strengthen stem capacity and research infrastructure across three epscor jurisdictions by building PFAS expertise, launching sustainable stem education and training programs across seven partner institutions, and fostering long-term collaboration with national labs, industry, and communities to cultivate a diverse new generation of innovators and educators. This project is supported by the epscor research infrastructure improvement program: focused epscor collaborations (FEC), which supports interjurisdictional teams of epscor investigators to perform research in topics that align with NSF priorities, with the goals of driving discovery and building sustainable stem capacity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are planned for this award.