IVL leads PFAS research through advanced analytics, field-scale testing, and policy engagement, driving practical environmental solutions.
“We do not just want to follow the regulatory curve – we want to shape it,” said CEO John Rune Nielsen. “Our role is to ensure that science provides clear, practical answers to one of the most urgent environmental issues today.”
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute has become one of Europe’s leading centres for PFAS research and innovation. With more than 20 years of experience, IVL combines advanced analytics, measurement techniques, pilot-scale remediation, and policy engagement to accelerate solutions for society.
Cutting-edge analytical expertise
IVL operates state-of-the-art PFAS laboratories in Stockholm and Gothenburg, offering some of Scandinavia’s most advanced capacities. High-resolution mass spectrometry, combustion ion chromatography, and total oxidisable precursor (TOP) assay and extractable organic fluorine (EOF) analysis enable IVL to reveal both known and hidden PFAS in diverse samples ranging from environmental and human to food and material or product samples. The PFAS experts also help with data interpretation and report writing.
On the lookout for what comes next
Constantly, IVL develops methods and includes new substances by both adapting to the needs of customers and research projects, but also by using the experience to foresee what comes next. Most recently, several ultrashort-chain PFAS, among them trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), were added to the target list. For TFA in drinking water, the method at IVL was graded as successful in an interlaboratory comparison study.
“We are constantly pushing the boundaries of detection,” said Ioannis Liagkouridis, Environmental Chemist at IVL. “Our work not only identifies known PFAS but also uncovers precursors and emerging compounds that would otherwise escape monitoring. This is crucial for building a true picture of environmental exposure.”
Breaking new ground in volatile PFAS measurement
One of IVL’s latest significant innovations has been the development of sampling and analytical methods to detect volatile PFAS in flue gases. Long overlooked, these compounds are now measurable thanks to IVL’s large-scale studies at waste incineration plants, the first of their kind.
From modelling to risk assessment and policy making
Beyond detection via chemical analyses, IVL provides advanced modelling tools to assess the environmental transport of PFAS in soil, groundwater, and surface water. With tools like the ‘PFAS Simulator’, IVL can help companies, regulators, and municipalities predict future concentrations in relevant matrices, e.g., groundwater aquifers. Ongoing research projects include the development of models to help wastewater treatment plants assess their impact on surface water recipients, including water, sediment, and fish.
IVL maps human exposure to PFAS from workplaces, indoor environments, and consumer products. One of IVL’s contracted studies for the Swedish Chemicals Agency on PFAS in cosmetics, covering both product contents and emissions after use, gained international recognition and served as the scientific background for the cosmetics section of the EU PFAS restriction proposal. Occupational exposure to PFAS is currently focusing on optimising air sampling and skin exposure strategies to facilitate correct exposure metrics and risk assessment.
Supporting communities to detect PFAS
In Sweden, municipalities are actively searching for PFAS sources and their spread. Since it is a diverse substance group that moves freely in water and air, its spread is hard to identify. Tracking it requires hydrology-based modelling and atmospheric tracing, as natural currents and weather conditions cause unpredictable movement and accumulation. Only integrated monitoring can reveal its pathways and potential impacts. The data gathered from the sampling efforts are also difficult to process. At IVL, researchers help with the improvement of sampling strategies and the visualisation of datasets, so the story behind the results becomes clear. This enables municipalities to make informed decisions from the perspective of risk assessment and counteractions.
Advancing remediation technologies
At IVL’s Research and Development Pilot Facility Sjöstadsverket Water Innovation Centre (SWIC), the institute has tested technologies such as granular activated carbon, ion exchange, foam fractionation, nanofiltration, and hybrid systems like powdered activated carbon and membrane bioreactor (PAC-MBR) for the removal of micropollutants.
The piloting studies are often designed to meet the needs of industrial and municipal wastewater utilities They are providing municipalities and industry with scalable, cost-effective pathways to reduce PFAS contamination. Along with the piloting and testing of treatment technologies, IVL also invites them to investigate the fate of PFAS by designing projects for sampling and mapping, helping them to make informed decisions and to look ahead for investment requirements and treatment capacities.”
“Our pilot plants allow us to evaluate treatment methods under realistic conditions,” said Christian Baresel, PFAS expert at IVL. “This is where research meets application, and where we can support utilities and industries in choosing solutions that actually work.”
Bridging research, industry, and policy
IVL’s unique strength lies in connecting science with practice. Through projects such as Zero PFAS and the PFAS Roadshows, the institute gathers inter-organisational competences in the field and translates research into actionable strategies. IVL also co-ordinates the Baltic Sea PFAS Network, bringing stakeholders together for dialogue and collaboration, and helps raise competence in the PFAS field both in Sweden and internationally. This role is especially important as EU regulations evolve, and municipalities and industries seek guidance on compliance and remediation.
Driving the next phase of innovation
Despite major advances, addressing PFAS effectively means combining several approaches. Not a single solution nor a single stakeholder can address all PFAS challenges. The institute is therefore investing in next-generation analytical tools, innovative treatment technologies, and robust risk frameworks to stay ahead of regulatory and environmental demands.
