Compact electron accelerator for treating PFAS-contaminated water

High-energy electrons can break down PFAS molecules into harmless components. The necessary electron beam could be provided by an accelerator, based on a SRF photoinjector, a study shows.

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie

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At HZB, novel concepts for particle accelerators are being developed and tested that offer a wide range of possible applications. Here is a glimpse into the SEAlab (Sustainable Electron Accelerator Laboratory) at HZB.

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Credit: HZB

So-called forever chemicals or PFAS compounds are a growing environmental problem. An innovative approach to treating PFAS-contaminated water and soil now comes from accelerator physics: high-energy electrons can break down PFAS molecules into harmless components through a process called radiolysis. A recent study published in PLOS One shows that an accelerator developed at HZB, based on a SRF photoinjector, can provide the necessary electron beam.

 

PFAS compounds can now be detected in many places in our environment. These synthetic chemicals accumulate in water and soil, from where they enter the food chain. Due to their extremely stable carbon-fluorine bonds, they are hardly degraded by natural processes. Some PFAS are considered harmful to health. For instance, the area around the former Tegel Airport is heavily contaminated with PFAS, which entered the soil and groundwater as a result of previous firefighting exercises.

High energy electrons against PFAS

Accelerator physics now offers a new approach to tackling this problem: high-energy electrons can break down PFAS molecules into harmless components through a process called radiolysis. In a feasibility study, a team led by Prof. Dr. Thorsten Kamps has shown that an accelerator developed at HZB based on an SRF photoinjector can deliver the electron beam required for this purpose. This electron beam must have a specific energy and high average power. An SRF photoinjector is a new accelerator concept using a superconducting radio-frequency cavity with high frequency electromagnetic fields to accelerate electrons. Since the acceleration field can be always on, one can generate high average beam power, as required by electron beam water treatment.

‘The SHF photoinjector concept is highly flexible and perfectly suited for the further development of accelerator-based PFAS water treatment. This allows us to find out which beam parameters optimise the chemical yield for specific PFAS compounds,’ says Tasha Spohr, lead author of the study.

Competitive alternative for PFAS treatment

In the case study, the team compared the filter system currently used for PFAS removal at the former TXL airport with the proposed accelerator concept. ‘In terms of operating costs, we could be competitive with conventional technology within the next years,’ says Kamps. ‘We have demonstrated that accelerator physics is not only a tool for exciting basic research, but can also deliver new technologies to address urgent societal issues.’

Compact accelerator in a box

The vision for this technology is a compact electron accelerator that fits into a container. This could be used at contamination hotspots – such as the former Berlin Tegel Airport – at potentially lower costs and with less effort than conventional remediation technology using filter systems. Although development work is still needed before practical implementation, the study shows that the SRF photoinjector is a suitable platform for systematically optimising the benefits, efficiency and costs of such systems.

Note: The study was funded as part of the HGF Hi-Acts Initiative.

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Journal

PLOS One

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0323581 

Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Compact high power, medium energy electron accelerator for treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl contamination in water

 

Understanding right- or left-hand dominance could open a window into the autistic brain

A new study out of York University shows autistic individuals more likely to use both hands

York University

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How we building things, such as a Lego model, shows some reduced right-hand specialization in adults with autism compared to the control group.

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Credit: York University

TORONTO, Jan. 19, 2026 – Most people take for granted which hand they use to reach for a cup of coffee or a puzzle piece. However, a new study out of York University suggests that for autistic individuals, which hand they use for various tasks is highly variable, which points to profound differences in the brain.

The research, published today in the journal Autism Research, found that even autistic adults who are right-handed demonstrate a reduced specialization of hand use and more distinctive movement patterns when compared to non-autistic peers.

“Handedness is one of the most visible markers of how our brain's left and right hemispheres specialize for different tasks,” says York University Associate Professor Erez Freud, who conducted the study with lead author and Master’s student Emily Fewster. “In the neurotypical population, about 90 per cent of people show a strong right-hand dominance, reflecting the left hemisphere’s specialization for fine motor skills. Our study shows that in autism, this specialization is less pronounced, leading to a unique and highly individualized motor signature.”

The LEGO Building Task

To observe these behaviors in a real-world context, researchers asked 54 right-handed adults, half with an autism diagnosis, to recreate complex LEGO models. Unlike traditional questionnaires that ask which hand someone uses to write, this naturalistic task allowed researchers to track thousands of dynamic movements in 3D space.

By analyzing how people actually move during the LEGO building task, researchers found that the right-handedness of autistic participants’ function quite differently than that of the non-autistic participants. Despite both groups identifying as right-handed, the autistic participants used their right hand much less often for grasping and did not show the typical dominant preference for using their right hand when reaching across their body.

The autistic participants also tended to shrink their workspace by focusing on blocks placed closer to them, suggesting a more cautious or individualized strategy for managing the space around them. In addition, their movements followed highly unique, idiosyncratic paths. While non-autistic participants tended to follow a similar sequence of actions, each autistic participant moved in a distinct, more variable way.

Together, these findings suggest that the autistic brain organizes movement in a less specialized, more variable manner than previously understood.

Implications for Earlier Identification

While the study focuses on brain organization, these "motor signatures" have significant clinical potential. Because motor skills often emerge in infancy, long before the complex communication skills typically used to diagnose autism, identifying these subtle motor differences could open a window for much earlier support.

“Standard questionnaires often miss these nuances because they don’t capture the dynamic nature of real-life movement,” says Freud. “By looking at how people actually move in a natural setting, we can identify objective markers that might eventually help us provide more tailored support strategies much earlier in development”.

The researchers suggest that this "noisy" or variable motor processing supports the theory that autism involves broader, less specialized neural representations across the brain.

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York University is a modern, multi-campus, urban university located in Toronto, Ontario. Backed by a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners, we bring a uniquely global perspective to help solve societal challenges, drive positive change, and prepare our students for success. York's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education. York’s campuses in Costa Rica and India offer students exceptional transnational learning opportunities and innovative programs. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

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Journal

Autism Research

DOI

10.1002/aur.70180 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Reduced Hand Specialization and Idiosyncratic Visuomotor Strategies in Autism During Naturalistic Object Manipulation

Article Publication Date

19-Jan-2026

 

Austrian cow shows first case of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in cattle

Cell Press

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Veronika resting while using a stick.

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Credit: Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró

In 1982, cartoonist Gary Larson published a now-iconic Far Side comic entitled Cow Tools. In it, a cow stands proudly beside a jumble of bizarre, useless objects that are “tools” in name only. The joke hinged on a simple assumption: cows are not intelligent enough to make or use tools. Now, this assumption is being challenged by a real cow named Veronika, according to a new study published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on January 19. This study is the first to describe tool use in a pet cow, suggesting that the cognitive abilities of cattle have been underestimated.  

“The findings highlight how assumptions about livestock intelligence may reflect gaps in observation rather than genuine cognitive limits,” says Alice Auersperg, a cognitive biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna. 

Veronika is not farmed for meat or milk. She is a long-lived Swiss Brown cow who has been kept as a companion animal by Witgar Wiegele, an organic farmer and baker with a strong appreciation for animals who regards her as part of the family. Over ten years ago, Witgar noticed that Veronika would occasionally pick up sticks and use them to scratch herself. 

The behavior first came to scientific attention when it was recorded on video and shared with Auersperg. “When I saw the footage, it was immediately clear that this was not accidental,” she recalls. “This was a meaningful example of tool use in a species that is rarely considered from a cognitive perspective.” 

Auersperg and her colleague, Antonio Osuna-Mascaró, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, traveled to meet and conduct systematic behavioral tests with Veronika. In a series of controlled trials, they presented a deck brush on the ground in a random orientation. The researchers recorded which end Veronika selected and which body region she targeted. Across repeated sessions, they found that her choices were consistent and functionally appropriate for the body regions she targeted. 

“We show that a cow can engage in genuinely flexible tool use,” says Osuna-Mascaró. “Veronika is not just using an object to scratch herself. She uses different parts of the same tool for different purposes, and she applies different techniques depending on the function of the tool and the body region.” 

Researchers found that Veronika typically prefers the bristled end of a deck brush when scratching broad, firm areas such as her back. However, when targeting softer and more sensitive regions of her lower body, she switches to the smooth stick end. In addition, she adjusts how she handles the tool. Veronika’s upper-body scratching involves wide, forceful movements, while her lower-body scratching is slower, more careful, and highly controlled, the researchers say. 

Tool use is defined as the manipulation of an external object to achieve a goal through mechanical means. Researchers found that Veronika’s behavior meets this definition and goes a step further, describing it as flexible, multi-purpose tool use, meaning that different features of the same object are used to achieve distinct functional outcomes. Such multi-purpose tool use is extraordinarily rare and, outside of humans, has previously been documented convincingly only in chimpanzees. 

“Because she is using the tool on her own body, this represents an egocentric form of tool use, which is generally considered less complex than tool use directed at external objects,” says Osuna-Mascaró. “At the same time, she faces clear physical constraints, as she must manipulate tools with her mouth. What is striking is how she compensates for these limitations, anticipating the outcome of her actions and adjusting her grip and movements accordingly.” 

The findings represent the first documented case of tool use in cattle and the first evidence of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in this species. They also expand the taxonomic range of animals known to possess this capacity. 

The researchers note that Veronika’s life circumstances may have played an important role in the emergence of this behavior. Most cows do not reach her age, do not live in open and complex environments, and are rarely given the opportunity to interact with a variety of manipulable objects. Her long lifespan, daily contact with humans, and access to a rich physical landscape likely created favorable conditions for exploratory and innovative behavior. 

“[Veronika] did not fashion tools like the cow in Gary Larson’s cartoon, but she selected, adjusted, and used one with notable dexterity and flexibility,” the researchers write. “Perhaps the real absurdity lies not in imagining a tool-using cow, but in assuming such a thing could never exist.” 

The team is now interested in understanding which environmental and social conditions allow such behaviors to emerge in livestock species, and how many similar cases may have gone unnoticed simply because no one was looking for them. “Because we suspect this ability may be more widespread than currently documented,” Osuna-Mascaró says, “we invite readers who have observed cows or bulls using sticks or other handheld objects for purposeful actions to contact us.” 

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Current Biology, Osuna- Mascaró AJ, Auersperg AMI, “Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow” https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01597-0 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.11.059  

Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com 

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Journal

Current Biology

DOI

10.1016/j.cub.2025.11.059 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow

Article Publication Date

19-Jan-2026

Veronika using the broom with the bakery as background.

The wonderful Veronika.

Veronika scratching herself while having two sticks in her mouth.

Veronika resting and using tools to self-scratch.

Veronika aiming back while resting.

Different techniques and body areas.

Credit

Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró