From Community Roots to Global Impact: The Story of Purifas
Alia Rizwan, Enactus UniPd Team member, unveils how a group of students is transforming a pressing environmental and societal problem into a highly technological solution, ready to land on the market and change the rules: discover Purifas.
By Alia Rizwan
The problem we cannot see
Think about items you rely on every day: a waterproof rain jacket, a non-stick frying pan, or stain-resistant fabrics. Many of these everyday conveniences have historically relied on a family of man-made chemicals known as PFAS, or polyfluoroalkyl substances.
PFAS are often dubbed “forever chemicals.” Because their atomic bond is virtually unbreakable, they do not decompose naturally. Instead, they linger for decades in our environment, accumulating in water, soil, and human bodies. Across Europe alone, investigations have identified around 23,000 contaminated sites, with over 2,300 declared critical hotspots.
With strict European Union monitoring rules taking effect under the Drinking Water Directive, water suppliers face an urgent question: How do we detect an invisible threat before it affects our drinking water?
When an invisible issue becomes a human story
Traditional laboratory testing for PFAS is highly accurate, but it can be slow, expensive, and reliant on specialized facilities. For local communities and water operators, waiting weeks for laboratory results creates uncertainty.
This challenge inspired the creation of Purifas in 2024. Born as a student initiative within Enactus UniPD at the University of Padua, Purifas set out with a clear goal: to make water testing faster, simpler, and more accessible. And, as every Enactus project, this mission needed to be socially, environmentally and economically viable, pursuing a responsible entrepreneurial mission.
However, Purifas was not built solely inside a laboratory. Driven by the social entrepreneurship mission of Fondazione Enactus Italia, our team stepped into affected communities. Through workshops reaching over 3,000 people and direct dialogue with grassroots groups like Mamme No PFAS, we listened to families living with water safety concerns.
Those conversations transformed our perspective. PFAS were no longer just a complex chemical formula; they represented real people asking a fundamental question: “Is our drinking water safe today?”
Developing the Purifas solution
To address this, Purifas developed a dual approach combining rapid field detection with predictive software:
On-Site Rapid Detection: A portable testing system using a simple color-change reaction and a handheld spectrophotometer. Field operators can receive initial water quality indicators on-site within minutes, bypassing initial laboratory delay.
Predictive Intelligence (Sentinel): A software platform that analyzes historical water trends to forecast future contamination risks, helping water suppliers make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones.
How Enactus turned an idea into a global mission
Developing the technology was only half the journey. Translating university research into a scalable social enterprise required guidance, mentorship, and a structured framework, and that is where having a full ecosystem made all the difference.
Fondazione Enactus Italia provided our team with much more than a competition platform. Through dedicated mentorship programs, specialized workshops, and incubators, Enactus helped us build essential skills in business modeling, regulatory compliance, pitch delivery, and leadership. We also received invaluable support from Technology Transfer Officers at University of Padua, whose guidance helped steer our project forward.
To move our technology from concept to reality, Purifas secured a research grant through the University of Padua dedicated to the active research and development of our sensing technology. This momentum led to key recognitions across the startup ecosystem, most recently winning the Climate Change Award at the StartCup competition, alongside selections for prestigious international accelerators including Helsinki Incubators, the Arqus Alliance, and the MITx Design program, which provided us an office space in Venice.
Throughout this journey, technical guidance from scientific advisors and a mentor from Italy's National Research Council specializing in PFAS detection helped us continuously validate both the science and our strategic roadmap.
Beyond skill building, one of the most powerful aspect of Enactus has been the national community. Interacting and networking with fellow student teams across Italy, and learning how they transformed local problems into impactful projects, inspired us to push our boundaries. The shared motivation, constructive feedback, and unity among Italian teams showed us the true strength of student-led innovation.
At the same time, participating in Science4All at the University of Padua, an initiative dedicated to bringing science to citizens at all levels, has given us a direct platform to engage the public and raise vital awareness as we continue to grow for the past two years.
From Padua to the Enactus World Cup
What began as a conversation among students around a pressing societal and environmental issue has grown into a multifaceted solution supported by mentors, academic advisors, and local communities.
Winning the Enactus Italy National Competition and earning the honor of representing Team Italy at the Enactus World Cup in Brazil is both surreal and deeply emotional. It reflects the dedication of a united team where every member, from chemistry majors, software developers to business majors, brought their individual expertise to the table.
There is no single quick fix for global chemical pollution. But by making the invisible visible and empowering communities with timely data, Purifas and Enactus are proving that student innovation can drive real, lasting change.
With our startup success and our sights set on reaching even more people within this year, we are ready to take the next big step, from Padua to the world stage.
Article by Alia Rizwan
Alia Rizwan is the Technology Manager for Purifas at Enactus UniPd and student the University of Padua. She helps leading technical development and supports communications for the Enactus World Cup initiative.
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