Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, September 2, 2026
Ion Beam Applications (IBA) has joined PFAROS, a new European research and innovation initiative focused on reducing environmental emissions and exposure associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) across pharmaceutical and medical applications. The initiative brings together 91 partners from industry, academia, healthcare, regulatory organizations and civil society to investigate practical approaches for addressing PFAS throughout the life cycle of healthcare products and applications. As part of the consortium, IBA will co-lead work focused on end-of-life and waste-management technologies alongside Bayer, contributing its expertise in electron beam and Rhodotron® accelerator technology. The project is funded under the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) and is designed to support safer, greener and more resilient healthcare systems while maintaining effectiveness, quality, safety and continuity of essential medical and pharmaceutical products.
IBA Brings Electron Beam Technology to PFAS Research
IBA will investigate the potential of its high-power electron beam technology for PFAS removal and destruction in healthcare-related applications. Through its Discovery Lab innovation hub, the company plans to test, develop and benchmark treatment technologies using samples associated with hospitals and pharmaceutical operations. The research will address long-chain, short-chain and ultrashort-chain PFAS, recognizing the technical challenge of treating different classes of these persistent fluorinated compounds. IBA will also assess combinations of pre-concentration, polishing and advanced destruction processes, with research objectives including PFAS mineralization and control of potentially undesirable by-products. The work is intended to generate experimental evidence that can help identify technically viable approaches for reducing PFAS-related environmental impacts associated with healthcare and pharmaceutical activities. PFAS management has become an increasingly important consideration for healthcare and pharmaceutical stakeholders because these substances can occur across complex product and waste streams. PFAROS takes a broader life-cycle approach, examining not only waste treatment but also opportunities to reduce PFAS use and identify alternatives where technically and clinically feasible. The initiative is therefore positioned at the intersection of pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical technology, environmental science and regulatory decision-making. For cGxP.wire readers, the project is particularly relevant because effective waste-management strategies increasingly need to complement established requirements for quality, safety, environmental responsibility and regulatory compliance.
PFAROS Evaluates Liquid and Solid Healthcare Waste
Beyond wastewater, the PFAROS consortium will investigate technologies for managing PFAS-containing solid healthcare materials. IBA’s contribution forms part of a wider effort to compare thermal and non-thermal approaches, evaluate opportunities for material reuse, and limit environmental exposure through fluorine containment. Where recovery is not feasible, the consortium will explore different pathways for PFAS mineralization, including pyrolysis, gasification, electron beam and plasma-based treatments. Laboratory-scale testing, sorting technologies and mechanical handling of healthcare waste will also be assessed to help determine which integrated treatment approaches offer the strongest combination of scalability, environmental performance and regulatory compatibility. The project’s multidisciplinary structure is intended to help translate laboratory findings into practical treatment strategies. University of Gent is serving as the academic leader, while IBA and Bayer are co-leading the end-of-life and waste-management work. The involvement of healthcare organizations, industry participants, researchers and regulatory stakeholders could allow technical findings to be considered alongside operational and policy requirements. PFAROS ultimately aims to develop evidence and tools that can support future industrial, regulatory and environmental decisions concerning PFAS in healthcare.
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IBA Expands Sustainable Healthcare Technology Research
IBA’s participation also extends the application of its accelerator expertise beyond established healthcare technologies such as proton therapy, radiopharmaceuticals and industrial irradiation. By examining electron beam and Rhodotron systems for PFAS treatment, the company is exploring another potential application of accelerator-based technology in a field driven by environmental and public-health priorities. The PFAROS initiative is structured as a five-year European project, with a broader objective of accelerating the transition away from PFAS in pharmaceutical and medical-device industries while developing safe, scalable and regulatory-compliant alternatives and treatment approaches. For the pharmaceutical sector, PFAROS could provide valuable evidence on how PFAS emissions, healthcare waste and manufacturing-related environmental impacts can be managed without compromising essential healthcare operations. IBA’s research contribution will focus specifically on evaluating destruction technologies rather than claiming an established commercial PFAS treatment solution. The results generated through the initiative could help determine the feasibility, scalability and environmental performance of electron beam-based approaches and contribute to the development of more sustainable healthcare and pharmaceutical waste-management practices.
Source: IBA press release
