PFAS, often referred to as 'forever chemicals,' are associated with low birth weight, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, and an increased risk of certain cancers. Scientists have found a new way to destroy them.
published earlier this month found that exposure to high levels of PFOS — a type of PFAS once used to make items such as clothing and food packaging resistant to stains, grease and water — was associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. Its sister chemical, PFOA, has been associated with anSo scientists have tried for years to find ways to break down PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
"One specific portion of these molecules falls off and sets off a cascade of reactions that ultimately breaks these PFAS compounds down to relatively benign products," William Dichtel, a professor of chemistry at Northwestern University who co-authored the study, said on a call with reporters. "The current way that people will try to dispose of firefighting foams that contain PFAS is to incinerate them, but there has been evidence that these incinerators are actually just blowing the PFAS around the community in which the incinerator is located," Trang said."So there’s a need for a method to get rid of PFAS in a way that does not continue to pollute.
The Northwestern researchers broke apart PFAS molecules at higher concentrations than the EPA warns about, though they think the process could remove lower concentrations from water too. It will likely take several years for scientists to develop a solution that can be rolled out in these communities, said Christopher Sales, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Drexel University who was not involved in the new study.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How to destroy ‘forever chemicals’: cheap method breaks down PFASDisposing of these persistent substances often requires high pressures and temperatures.
Read more »
Simple mix of soap and solvent could help destroy ‘forever chemicals’A common ingredient in soap, mixed with water and an organic solvent, readily degrades certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals.”
Read more »
Scientists Think They've Found a Shockingly Simple Way to Degrade 'Forever Chemicals'A team of scientists has discovered a simple, low-energy way to break apart one of the largest groups of 'forever chemicals', nefarious pollutants that have been linked to environmental harm and human health concerns.
Read more »