A new method to deal with toxic chemicals in global water supplies has been developed by researchers at Oxford Brookes University.

The team from the university, which has a campus in Swindon, has created a new machine called a hydrodynamic reactor, which uses bubbles to tackle per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

These 'forever chemicals,' used in a range of everyday items such as non-stick pans and waterproof clothing, have been a cause for concern since the 1970s.

They are now known to pose health risks, and are associated with diseases such as ulcerative colitis, thyroid problems, elevated cholesterol, liver damage, and cancer.

Professor Iakovos Tzanakis, a lead researcher specialising in engineering materials at Oxford Brookes, said: "Once contaminated water is released into rivers, lakes, and seas, it eventually infiltrates our public water supplies, including our domestic drinking water.

"Our challenge has been to find a way of effectively treating water to remove PFAS chemicals sustainably and at a scale."

The reactor works by creating and collapsing bubbles through changes in pressure, a process known as cavitation.

This method is designed to clean the water without the need for additional chemicals.

Professor Tzanakis said: "Until now, methods of removing PFAS from water have been costly and time-consuming using chemicals and restricted to laboratory scale.

"But research I have carried out with my colleague Dr Morteza Ghorbani has identified a potential solution."

The team collaborated with Sabanci University, white goods manufacturer Beko, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute to develop and test the reactor.

When tested at the Hammarby Sjöstad wastewater treatment plant in Sweden, the reactor achieved nearly a 36 per cent degradation rate of 11 common PFAS variants in just 30 minutes.

Dr Ghorbani, who is also affiliated to Sabanci University, said: "The results were impressive. We didn’t expect that level of PFAS processing in such a short space of time.

"We are now exploring the fundamental mechanisms of PFAS removal in depth at Oxford Brookes University to better control and optimise the process."

The team now plans to scale up the reactor to treat larger volumes of wastewater.

Their goal is to treat wastewater containing PFAS volumes up to 20 litres, with an aim to reach 200 litres in a Swedish plant.

Dr Ghorbani added: “Our goal is to boost this promising approach by unveiling the intricate physics that drive the technology through the use of various reactors in different countries."