Researchers at the University of British Columbia have launched real-world pilot tests of their water treatment method.Canadian researchers said they have developed a method to filter toxic \u201cforever chemicals\u201d from water and potentially destroy the long-lasting compounds permanently.
\nCommonly known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d because they can persist in the environment for years, these hazardous compounds have long troubled environmentalists and regulators.
\nTheir harmful effects on human health are well documented, but their ubiquitous use and the challenges in breaking them down have complicated efforts to eliminate them.
\nPressure to do so is growing. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the nation\u2019s first drinking-water standards requiring water utilities to reduce levels of PFAS \u2014 perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
\nThe new technology, described by one of its developers as a \u201cBrita filter, but a thousand times better,\u201d could help address the problem, experts say.
\n\u201cThe potential impact will be huge,\u201d said Madjid Mohseni, a professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University of British Columbia who led the research. \u201cWe are hoping to be able to take this to be part of the collective toolbox that we have for addressing PFAS contamination of our water supplies.\u201d
\nWhat are PFAS?
\nPolyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances are a class of thousands of different chemicals with varying properties. The highly durable chemicals have been used for decades to make nonstick cookware, moisture-repellent fabrics and flame-retardant equipment, and they are found in other commonly used consumer goods such as cosmetics and food packaging.
\nSeveral U.S. states and other countries have banned certain types of PFAS, and many major companies say they have discontinued their use, but the compounds have shown up in the water supplies of communities across the country and the world. The chemicals have been linked to infertility, thyroid problems and several types of cancer.
\nTechnologies already exist to remove PFAS from water, but Mohseni and other experts say these approaches have limitations.Activated carbon, for example, can filter what is known as long-chain PFAS but does not as effectively trap the shorter-chain variants of the chemicals. Short-chain PFAS, some of which can be toxic at low doses, are becoming more prevalent as many manufacturers use them as a replacement for the long-chain compounds.
\nExisting methods also typically create waste products that contain high concentrations of PFAS, which often end up in landfills or are incinerated, said Erik Olson, a senior strategic director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
\nFrom landfills, the harmful chemicals could leech back into the environment. Burning them is not ideal, either. \u201cOnly extremely high-temperature incineration can even start to destroy PFAS,\u201d Olson said. \u201cNormal incineration just simply sends PFAS up the smokestack.\u201d
\nA reusable PFAS filterMohseni said the material his team developed \u2014 which looks like tiny porous plastic beads \u2014 can remove long- and short-chain chemicals at rates that match or exceed industry standards. The PFAS it captures could be stripped away, also making the beads potentially reusable or recyclable, he said.
\nAdditionally, Mohseni said, the team engineered techniques designed to break the leftover PFAS down into harmless compounds.
\nThe beads eventually could be used in products to filter water in homes, industrial sites and at municipal levels, he added. However, for in-home applications, users would have to send the used filters to centralized locations for regeneration or recycling, and for the PFAS to be broken down fully \u2014 somewhat like how some used coffee pods are sent back to manufacturers for recycling, Mohseni said.
\nAlthough the technology is promising, experts not involved in the research say it has yet to be proved in real-world settings at scale. The UBC research team has launched pilot trials in British Columbia, but none of the sites are yet sources of drinking water.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re a ways off from really having a clear solution,\u201d Olson said. \u201cOur biggest worry still is that we don\u2019t exactly know how to totally destroy PFAS effectively at a commercial scale.\u201d
\nThe \u2018gold standard\u2019 PFAS solutionRemoving the chemicals from water and breaking them down is only part of the solution to the PFAS problem, said Cora Young, an associate professor of chemistry at York University in Toronto who studies the chemicals.
\n\u201cDestroying PFAS that already exist is a useful thing, but a lot of other approaches have to be used to actually reduce its impact as an environmental problem,\u201d Young said.
\nThat includes regulations and other efforts to hold polluters accountable.
\n\u201cThe gold standard solution is to no longer have this stuff made,\u201d said Olson, \u201cand, therefore, we\u2019re not polluting the whole environment with it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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