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PFAS in drinking water: New plasma methods aim to remove “forever chemicals”. Also: recycling innovations, cockchafers, and the impact of compliments.
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00:06They're found everywhere. PFAS. Toxic chemicals you can't see, smell or taste. Fish can reveal
00:14how much is present in water and which types. Birds of prey can show what contamination
00:20levels look like. And bees are now viewed as good scientific indicators. Humans introduce
00:27PFAS into the environment, and now we're trying to get rid of them again.
00:35Breaking Down Forever Chemicals, coming up on Tomorrow Today. Welcome to the show.
00:44PFAS sure can do a lot of things. They make dental floss silky smooth, coat paper cups,
00:52waterproof clothes. They're in firefighting foam, and even ensure nothing sticks to your
00:58frying pan. And they've been doing it for more than a century now. Thanks PFAS.
01:05But there's a catch. This group of compounds basically never breaks down. That's why they're
01:11also called forever chemicals. Once in the environment, PFAS get into drinking water and food,
01:18eventually accumulating in our bodies. Elevated amounts of them can cause cholesterol levels
01:25to rise, damage the liver, reduce vaccine effectiveness, impair immune system response,
01:31and even lead to cancer. Newborns exposed to PFAS often weigh less at birth. Experts assume that nowadays,
01:40the chemicals can be found in all of us. Can we get rid of them?
01:47Maybe with what's called the fourth state of matter. Not a solid, not a liquid, not a gas,
01:55but what's known as plasma. It surrounds lightning, lives in fire, makes stars shine, and causes the northern
02:07lights. Generated from an extremely hot gas, plasma is a mixture of ions, electrons, and neutral particles.
02:16And research indicates it might be able to rid our water of forever chemicals.
02:24Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology in Stuttgart
02:30have focused on contaminated water. Paul Reichler and Jakob Bartz developed a system designed to eliminate PFAS and
02:39other pollutants completely. One that doesn't leave behind any toxic residues. Plasma plays a central role.
02:48The researchers demonstrate their process on water that's leached out of a landfill site.
02:57It contains heavy metals, things like arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, but also household chemicals and PFAS compounds.
03:08The polluted liquid contains all the stuff that makes life difficult for environmental engineers,
03:14and in extremely high concentrations. Our method uses a plasma-based process,
03:21one of what are called advanced oxidation processes. The goal is to break PFAS molecules down into their basic components.
03:31Here's how it works. The contaminated water is pumped into a vertical tube. At the top,
03:38it flows over and trickles back down along the outer surface of the pipe. Above the pipe is a grid.
03:45A high-voltage current is applied between pipe and grid, creating the plasma. But you can only really
03:53see it in complete darkness. Plasma isn't just visually striking. It also has an effect on the
04:03contaminated liquid. As the water flows down the outside of the tube through the discharge zone,
04:09the plasma breaks PFAS molecule chains apart, shortening them over and over until all that's left is either
04:17carbon dioxide or fluoride. The same principle can be used to break down other organic chemicals,
04:24including many pharmaceuticals. In this test, the water is cycled through the system about 40 times.
04:32So let's see how well it worked. This is the untreated water from the landfill with its typical dark brown
04:47color. And this is after the plasma treatment. You can see how it's cleared. Most of the pollutants
04:53have been removed. Today's promising lab results could in the future lead to changes in wastewater treatment
05:04plants, helping to finally break down forever chemicals.
05:12Stuff we no longer want gets thrown in the trash. But where does it end up? Landfills are bad for
05:19the
05:19environment. And lots of what's dumped there still contains valuable resources. We need to reclaim
05:25and reuse those materials. With textiles and some types of plastic, we already do a fair bit of
05:31recycling. But other waste remains a big challenge.
05:36It's a treasure worth millions of euros and we throw it away.
05:44Solar panels generally work for about 20 years. After that, they're mostly dismantled and scrapped.
05:51At this research center in Halle, Franz Sobel and his team want to stop the waste. In the next few
05:57years,
05:58Germany will see a massive spike in decommissioned panels.
06:03Currently, Germany has about 80 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity, around 200 million tons of PV modules.
06:11They're made from valuable raw materials. About 200,000 tons of silicon, around 30,000 tons of copper,
06:17and more than 2,000 tons of silver. Essential resources that take a lot of time and effort to extract.
06:24The problem is that aged PV systems are treated simply as electronic waste.
06:32So far, recycling has mainly focused on aluminum and glass. With just these two components,
06:38you recover around 80 percent of the module's mass, which legally is considered sufficient.
06:46But silicon in particular is largely ignored during recycling, a huge waste of resources.
06:53Producing silicon is an extremely complex and energy-intensive process.
06:58If we could recover it from solar modules, we could stop emitting enormous amounts of CO2.
07:05That's the researchers' plan. Here, only silicon and plastic remain from the modules.
07:11These residues are shredded and then sorted into individual components.
07:17That's a difficult process, because clean separation is crucial for reuse.
07:23The key challenge is processing silicon in ways that are both cost-effective and energy-efficient.
07:30The researchers show this is not an impossible task.
07:34A demonstrator module we made here is made entirely from 100 percent recycled silicon.
07:41It achieves an efficiency of 19.7 percent, higher than the old modules the materials came from.
07:51An important step towards better recycling, especially looking ahead.
07:58The solar panel boom we're currently seeing on rooftops in Germany will need recycling in 10 to 20 years.
08:05We need to be prepared with processes that are economically viable.
08:10The method represents a big step forward. But solar panel recycling could be made even more efficient.
08:18Michael Heuschkel and Harold Gross say it can be done cheaper and far more environmentally friendly using light.
08:26Their approach doesn't require shredding modules. Instead, whole panels are fed into a system
08:33and exposed to a short, high-intensity flash of light. We can't see the flash, but we can hear the
08:42discharge.
08:47The flash is quite audible, a loud thump. It heats the module to several hundred degrees Celsius,
08:55breaking the bond between plastic and silicon. Then the back layer is opened and the silicon fragments are collected.
09:02The purity remains high, and no other complex post-processing is required.
09:08Another key advantage is that the system is mobile and fits into a shipping container.
09:13So PV arrays worldwide could theoretically be dismantled on-site. That's cost-effective.
09:22The current approach is shredding and sorting, which only leads to down-cycling.
09:27What we need is real recycling, a true circular economy.
09:36In other words, recovering materials in their original quality. We're still far from that goal,
09:43especially when it comes to wind turbines. A company called Novotec specializes in recycling those.
09:51Systems like these also have to be retired after about 25 years of operation. But solutions in Germany are still
09:59lacking,
10:00for rotor blades in particular. Around 50,000 tons per year will need recycling by 2040.
10:09Novotec founder Holger Sasse has made solving this problem his goal.
10:16The blades often lie around in fields for years, so I ask myself, what can we do with them?
10:21Right now, the standard method is to crush them and then burn them in cement plants. But our goal is
10:28to keep
10:28carbon in solid form, not to release it as CO2 into the atmosphere. When these systems were built 25 years
10:36ago,
10:36no one thought about recycling. Now Sasse is tackling the problems that's causing.
10:44His idea is to turn the material into a wood substitute for the construction industry.
10:51Old rotor blades are delivered in pieces, which are shredded in a powerful grinder.
10:59After that, the sorting begins.
11:05Not everything is usable or useful for us. There are lead weights, copper cables. Those are all valuable materials that
11:13we remove.
11:13Only the epoxy and glass fiber from the rotors is treated in our process.
11:23In the end, just finely shredded flakes are left, ready for reuse.
11:29These are melted down and molded into new shapes, for example, floorboards that can replace tropical hardwood.
11:37Because the material is highly durable, it's suitable even for demanding applications,
11:43like the support structures for solar installations.
11:46And Sasse has of course thought about how these can be recycled in turn.
11:55The new material being produced here can be returned to us in 20 or 30 years and turned into yet
12:02another product.
12:05It's high time to rethink recycling for solar panels and wind turbines,
12:10preserving the increasingly scarce resources they contain for future generations.
12:19What's that noise? It's the sound of a single maybug.
12:24Its powerful wings make a loud buzz when it flies.
12:27No wonder. The insect isn't exactly aerodynamic, but though somewhat clumsy, it remains undaunted.
12:37People in May beetle fever. It's a maybug year.
12:42Millions of the insects suddenly appeared in Germany in the spring of 2026.
12:47Why so many at the same time? Is there reason to fear the invasion?
12:51And what does this rare natural spectacle have to do with the FIFA World Cup?
12:57Let's kick things off.
13:02This major natural spectacle of northern cockchafers is something that typically occurs in the dry
13:08regions called the Hessisch Ried, in the northern part of the upper Rhine Valley.
13:13The forests there are already heavily damaged. The soil is extremely dry. The larvae love that.
13:22Cockchafers, commonly called may beetles or maybugs, are for the most part indigenous to Europe.
13:28In the course of its life, the insect undergoes a complete metamorphosis.
13:33It all starts in the soil. A mature female maybug lays up to 70 eggs.
13:41Tiny larvae hatch a few weeks later. We call them grubs. During this larval stage,
13:47which lasts three to four years, the grubs remain underground. A smart move.
13:55That keeps them hidden from potential predators while they feed voraciously on plant roots.
14:01Very large numbers of grubs can cause significant damage to forests.
14:06Though generally nothing unsustainable. After all, woodland ecosystems are complex.
14:13For nature, this can sometimes even be a blessing. Think of the bats and
14:18birds that often struggle to find enough food. In a year like this, there's plenty of protein-rich
14:24bounty. The may beetles provide a feast. So it's important not to lose perspective and focus on what
14:33truly harms forests. Falling groundwater levels, drought and extreme heat.
14:41Once fully grown, the grubs bore down about a meter into the soil and pupate. During this stage,
14:48their bodies transform and they emerge looking like beetles rather than grubs. They then spend the winter
14:54underground before crawling to the surface in spring. They come up out of the ground, exiting from small
15:02holes. Then they take off and start flying. Usually we only see them for a few weeks.
15:17The short period they spend above ground is all the time they have left.
15:24Culturally, may beetles were once seen as a sign of spring. In Germany, songs and poems have been
15:30written about them. And the luck they supposedly bring. A distinctive feature, their antennae. In female
15:38beetles, six feathery structures resemble a fan. And the males?
15:45The males even have seven leaves on their antennae. That's because they not only need to detect the
15:55oak leaves they feed on so they can fly towards them, but they also need to be able to locate
16:01the
16:02females to follow their scent. The big moment has arrived.
16:10High in the treetops, males and females meet up to mate.
16:18Their extremely short lives above ground serve a single purpose – reproduction.
16:28After mating, the males die.
16:33Once the females have mated, they feed intensely for about two weeks. They eat and eat and eat,
16:41leaf after leaf. Then after roughly two weeks, they lay their eggs in the soil in a forest.
16:49Then the females die as well. And the cycle begins again.
16:55Because may beetles sometimes strip entire forests and fields bare, they were hunted for centuries.
17:02In many places, they were captured in huge numbers.
17:07In the swarm year of 1938, records reveal that in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein alone,
17:13more than 192,000 kilograms of may beetles were collected, nearly 200 million insects all told.
17:23Some ended up in pots. You can still find recipes for maybug soup.
17:28First, the beetles were fried in butter, then boiled in chicken broth and pureed.
17:37Nowadays, may beetles have become a much rarer site. Decades of monoculture farming and pesticides have
17:43taken a heavy toll. So a mass emergence like this year's is actually a reason for celebration.
17:49And in some parts of Germany, it's also associated with the World Cup.
18:01Interestingly, these mass years often coincide with soccer World Cups. When Germany won in 2014,
18:09it was also a great may beetle year. Let's hope it works out again this time.
18:16We'll see.
18:20And if not, there's always another chance in four years, when the next generation of may beetles
18:26should emerge again for yet another may beetle year classic.
18:35There's something else associated with springtime, at least here in Germany, asparagus.
18:41Every year, its appearance heralds the end of winter. What happens when you eat it?
18:46Prompted a question from a viewer in Croatia.
18:52Why does urine have an intense, characteristic odour after consuming asparagus?
18:59Whether green or white, shoots from the asparagus are viewed as a healthy addition to any diet.
19:05But eating it can have a noticeable side effect. Soon after consumption,
19:09your urine can acquire a powerful odour. Or at least in some people it can.
19:15Lots of people would recognize the scent, though some can't smell it at all.
19:21Confused yet? Okay, let's start at the beginning.
19:26Researchers believe that what ultimately leads to that smelly tinkle is a small molecule the plant
19:32contains lots of. Called asparagusic acid, it's pretty odourless.
19:38But see those two S's down at the bottom? Those represent sulfur atoms. And sulfur is an element
19:44that plays a role in lots of powerful scents. It's a major component in skunk spray, for instance.
19:51And it gives garlic its characteristic pong. After you chow down on the vegetable,
19:59your body can turn innocuous asparagusic acid into stuff that reeks a lot more.
20:05Like dimethyl sulfide, one component in the smell of rotting meat. Or methanethiol,
20:13which helps give some cheeses their distinctive tangy smell. And not just cheeses.
20:19The molecule is also associated with bad breath. But not everyone's metabolism turns asparagusic
20:28acid into lots of stronger smelling stuff. Some people don't have detectable asparagus pee.
20:33Why? Either their bodies don't break down asparagusic acid in the first place,
20:39or don't turn it into noticeable levels of stinky compounds. What makes things even more complicated
20:45is the sense of smell itself. Special cells inside your nose are studded with different kinds of highly
20:53specific receptors. When the right scent molecules dock on, you smell that specific smell.
20:59But if you don't have the genes to make receptors for the stinky compounds in asparagus pee,
21:05you won't smell them, even in your own urine. So bottom line, not everyone who eats asparagus
21:12will necessarily produce strongly scented characteristic pee after. And even in those who do,
21:18not everyone will be able to smell it. What are stars made of? How many colors do butterflies see?
21:28Could robots have babies one day? Do you have a science question? Then send it to us as a video,
21:34text or voice message. If we answer it on the show, we'll send you a little gift as a thank
21:40you. So just ask.
21:46We all want to remain healthy as we age. Scientists have found that more than anything else,
21:52our relationships with people contribute to happiness and well-being. Having a wide social
21:58network has a powerful effect. That's one of the findings from a study at Harvard that's been going
22:04on for over 80 years now. And another factor also plays a role.
22:11Remarks like, you have a beautiful smile, make us happy. And they do more. Compliments are more than
22:18just kind words. They're an essential aspect of close relationships. At the Institute of Medical
22:25Psychology at Heidelberg University Hospital, Monica Eckstein researches social interactions. She's studied
22:33what happens in the brain when couples give each other compliments. We designed a very elaborate
22:41experiment. Both partners from each couple were placed in two MRI scanners running simultaneously.
22:48They could see each other via video screens. The researchers then observed the neural reactions
22:57in 43 couples as they exchanged compliments written in advance. The scan showed that the exchanges
23:05activated areas of the brain linked to empathy and reward, where hormones associated with feelings
23:12of bonding and happiness are active. The most important finding for us was that while receiving a
23:19compliment is rewarding and pleasant for the brain, giving one is as well. And that can increase
23:25satisfaction in a relationship. Psychologist Corina Aguilar-Rab has studied the phenomenon as well.
23:35Compliments influence our well-being and give people the feeling of being
23:39socially connected in a way that meets their emotional needs. Could this effect also help with mental
23:47disorders? That question was explored in another study simulated here. In it, couples where a woman
23:54suffered from depression exchanged compliments for 10 minutes. The researchers measured heart activity,
24:01eye movements and changes in saliva. The question? Do they bring the same benefits they do in couples
24:09where both partners are healthy? And in fact, they did. The improvement in mood was just as strong.
24:15There was no difference. They were positively affected. And they benefited even more in one aspect after
24:25those 10 minutes of interaction, how satisfied they felt with their relationship. A surprising result that could
24:35prove very useful in prevention and therapy. Small, positive interactions seem to have a big impact on how we feel
24:44and
24:44perceive our daily lives. A good compliment in a relationship or a friendship should be personal and authentic.
24:54Is there a compliment you'd like to give, I assume, to your girlfriend?
24:59She has very, very beautiful eyes and a wonderful smile. And I especially love her dimples.
25:07It's so nice that you're here with me today.
25:10And turn about his fair play. Is there a compliment you'd like to give him?
25:16I'm so happy I have him, and that I met him at all in my life.
25:23I really love your eyes, honestly. Whenever I look at you, your eyes are always smiling.
25:31And that makes me happy too.
25:36Thank you. Happy faces in Heidelberg, inspired by sincere compliments.
25:44We could all give them a little more often.
25:51Starting right now, we're delighted to have viewers like you. And we hope your interest in science never
25:57wanes. That's all for now. See you again next time on Tomorrow Today.
26:06We'll see you again next time on Tomorrow Today.