Photo/Illutration Flashes of purple light are seen where plasma is being used to break down PFAS chemicals in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. (Tomoyuki Suzuki)

SUITA, Osaka Prefecture--A pale purple light flashed repeatedly along a tube at a laboratory here, showing where plasma broke down a growing scourge to the environment and human health.

The lab is operated by NexFi Technology Inc., a business venture that has joined the battle against organic fluorine compounds of a group known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

PFAS, used broadly at chemical plants, are called “forever chemicals” because some are nearly non-degradable in nature.

Studies found that the use of plasma can decompose PFAS, so NexFi decided to take a shot at that technology. It set up its lab in an aging school building on the University of Osaka’s Suita Campus.

NexFi’s founders include President Takashi Nakamura, who previously worked for a chipmaker.

NexFi had earlier developed a high-frequency pulse generator, capable of making 1 million pulses a second, by using silicon carbide, a semiconductor material made of silicon and carbon.

That technology made it possible to generate high-density plasma in flowing water.

At the lab, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), known as the most common PFAS, were each sent down the tube at 26 times the regulation limit concentration for tests.

The results showed they were decomposed to levels below the permissible limit in 160 to 180 minutes.

In 250 minutes, both PFOS and PFOA were broken down completely to levels below the detection limit.

That experimental performance was better than the results presented by other researchers, the NexFi lab officials said.

They said they are currently developing prototype equipment that would be even more efficient.

“We hope to reduce the processing time by another order of magnitude and release our product for industrial use,” Nakamura said.

Tsuyoshi Funaki, a University of Osaka professor of electrical engineering who has conducted joint research with NexFi, also released a radiant comment.

“I am extremely happy to learn that our findings can hopefully be used not just for science and technology purposes that we initially envisaged, such as in accelerators, but also to address the environmental problem, which has become an urgent issue,” he said.

NexFi officials said they are floating plans to use the technology for breaking down other pollutants, such as microplastics and carbon dioxide.

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