Scientists Find New Way to Break Down PFAS 'Forever Chemicals'
Last edited Sun Aug 21, 2022, 01:34 AM - Edit history (1)
- NBC NEWS, Aug.18, 2022. Ed. - Forever chemicals' stay in the air and water permanently. But scientists have found a new way to destroy them. - PFAS chemicals are associated with low birth weight, thyroid disease and an increased risk of certain cancers.
PFAS, a class of synthetic chemicals used in the manufacture of consumer products, can linger permanently in the air, water and soil, which is why they're often referred to as "forever chemicals."The chemicals are associated with low birth weight, high cholesterol, thyroid disease and an increased risk of certain cancers. A study 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 an increased risk of kidney cancer.
So scientists have tried for years to find ways to break down PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. On Thursday, researchers at Northwestern University published a study showing that PFAS can be destroyed using two relatively harmless chemicals: sodium hydroxide or lye, a chemical used to make soap, and dimethyl sulfoxide, a chemical approved as a medication for bladder pain syndrome. Previously, the only operational way to break down PFAS was to expose the particles to extremely high temperatures — sometimes above 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit — in an incinerator. But that energy-intensive process can still release harmful chemicals into the environment.
The new method appears to be safer and more energy-efficient. The Northwestern scientists added PFAS molecules to a solution of lye and dimethyl sulfoxide and exposed them to temperatures of up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. The chemicals degraded into fluoride ions and other harmless byproducts. "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. PFAS are nearly impossible to destroy because of their strong carbon-fluorine bonds. Brittany Trang, another co-author, compared the process of breaking apart the molecules to smashing a Lego block to bits.
Currently, PFAS can be filtered out of water but then need to be destroyed somehow. If the chemicals are dumped in a landfill or tossed in an incinerator, they can still pollute the environment.
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." - CHALLENGES IN TREATING DRINKING WATER: PFAS were invented in the 1930s and used in nonstick & waterproof coatings for consumer goods starting in the 1940s & 50s. Since then, the chemicals have been found in all sorts of household items, including carpets, cookware & personal care products. PFOA and PFOS were largely phased out of U.S. chemical & product manufacturing in the mid-2000s, but have since been replaced by a new group of PFAS chemicals called GenX. But the older chemicals persist in the environment, including in drinking water...https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/new-way-destroy-pfas-forever-chemicals-rcna43528
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- SCIENCE, Aug. 18, 2022. 'Simple mix of soap and solvent could help destroy ‘forever chemicals.’ Approach doesn’t work on all PFAS compounds, but could help decontaminate thousands of sites worldwide.
There's finally hope for a simple, cheap way to clean a class of ubiquitous environmental toxins found in shampoos, fast-food wrappers and fire-dousing foam. A common ingredient in soap, mixed with water and an organic solvent, readily degrades per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as 'forever chemicals' because they can stick around in the environment for decades, a new study shows. The mixture doesn’t work on all PFAS compounds, but related approaches might offer communities a cheap way to rid soils and drinking water of contaminants that currently put millions of people at risk for cancer and other diseases...
https://www.science.org/content/article/simple-mix-soap-and-solvent-could-help-destroy-forever-chemicals
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- BBC News, Aug. 18, 2022. 'Breakthrough over potentially harmful chemicals found in most homes.' Ed. - * PFAS are used in makeup and pharmaceutical products because of their water-resistant properties. Chemists have identified how to destroy "forever chemicals" in a low-cost way for the first time, new research says. Scientists have linked exposure to the substances, known as PFAS, at certain levels to serious health risks, including cancer and birth defects.
Their resistance to water, oil and stains make them highly useful. PFAS are used in hundreds of everyday objects from frying pans to make-up. But it is these properties that make them so difficult to destroy. PFAS stands for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances. There are around 4,500 of these fluorine-based compounds and they are found in almost every dwelling on Earth in products including food packaging, non-stick cookware, rain gear, adhesives, paper and paints.
They have been identified in low levels in rainwater globally - but if they infiltrate water or soil in high level, they can become a serious concern. Research remains ongoing to determine how different levels of exposure can lead to various health effects ."There is an association between exposure and adverse outcomes in every major organ system in the human body," Elsie Sunderland, professor of environmental chemistry at Harvard University, tells BBC News...
The chemicals that linger for decades in your blood; PFAS in rainwater exceed safe levels; The race to replace persistent chemicals in our homes; The research team, led by Brittany Trang, identified a new mechanism to break down the PFAS by using a common chemical called sodium hydroxide - which is used to make household products like soap or painkillers; With PFAS remaining in production it can continue to build up at low levels in fish & other wildlife as it cannot be broken down naturally very easily... https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62561756
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