RISE participates in major European initiative to reduce PFAS in healthcare

PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are used in healthcare in applications including medical devices, pharmaceutical manufacturing, packaging and personal protective equipment. At the same time, these substances are highly persistent and can accumulate in the environment and living organisms.

“Replacing PFAS in healthcare is a complex challenge. Alternatives must not only reduce environmental impact but also meet high standards of performance, quality and patient safety. In PFAROS, we bring together expertise from across the value chain to evaluate alternatives and contribute to a transition that is both safe and sustainable,” says Karin Persson, RISE.

The five-year research and innovation project PFAROS, Phasing out PFAS from Healthcare and Pharma, will map where and why PFAS are used across the global healthcare supply chain and investigate opportunities to reduce their use and emissions where possible. The work includes the development and validation of alternatives for medical devices, pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging.

The project will also develop methods for Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD), data-driven decision support and solutions to reduce PFAS emissions from waste streams. PFAROS aims to identify, develop and validate at least 30 PFAS-free alternatives and generate knowledge and tools that can support a safe and sustainable transition across the sector.

“To phase out PFAS, we first need to understand where these substances are used and the functions they serve in different applications. By combining existing industry mapping and databases with dialogue with companies and new PFAS screening methods, we are creating a unique overview of PFAS use across the healthcare sector. This enables us to prioritise applications where PFAS can be replaced in the short term and identify the properties that future alternatives will need to meet,” says Lisa Skedung, RISE.

RISE is one of the key technical partners and leads work in material characterisation, peptide synthesis, techniques for removing PFAS from materials, PFAS analysis and implementation of Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD). RISE helps to develop and validate PFAS-free materials and processes and provides modelling, AI-based optimisation and decision support for the substitution of PFAS and the industrial implementation of safe and sustainable alternatives to PFAS in healthcare.

PFAROS brings together 89 partners from 24 countries, including universities and research institutes, large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, hospitals, public authorities, industry associations and patient organisations. The project has a total budget of €41 million and will run from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2031.

The project is coordinated by University of Ghent and supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme.

Contact:
Karin Persson
Doctor of Technology, RISE
karin.persson@ri.se
+46 10 516 60 72

Lisa Skedung
Doctor of Technology, RISE
lisa.skedung@ri.se
+46 10 516 60 16

More information about the project: https://www.ri.se/en/health-and-life-science/project/pfaros-minimize-the-presence-of-pfas-in-healthcare