In 2022, Zwijndrecht (Belgium) became notorious for the widespread PFAS contamination in the region, which led to serious environmental and health concerns.
In response, Frederik Verstraete, CEO of C-Biotech, launched an investigation. He explored whether soil additives could accelerate the PFAS extraction properties of industrial hemp.
Exciting initial results convinced Frederik to form a partnership with DEME. The goal? Develop enhanced phytoremediation techniques to scale up the remediation of contaminated soils — in Belgium and beyond.
In 2024, we launched a groundbreaking field trial at a PFAS contaminated firefighting site in Ranst, Belgium. The pilot tested industrial hemp’s ability to extract PFAS from soil, enhanced with targeted soil additives. These additives stimulated both plant growth and microbial activity in the soil, creating a synergistic environment where long-chain PFAS compounds were broken down by enzymes and microorganisms into shorter-chain variants. These smaller, more mobile PFAS were then more easily absorbed by the hemp and accumulated in the plant’s leaves. After just one cultivation cycle, 67% of PFAS were removed — bringing most plots below the legal remediation threshold. The results confirm the potential of hemp-based phytoremediation, when combined with the right additives, as a scalable, nature-based solution for PFAS-contaminated soils.
