How engineers are removing toxic ‘forever chemicals’ from the environment
Engineers are developing solutions to detect, capture, and destroy toxic ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS) due to their environmental persistence and health risks. Innovations include portable detection devices (University of Chicago), highly efficient capture materials (Rice University), and advanced destruction platforms like Gradiant's ForeverGone, which eliminates PFAS from wastewater. Efforts also focus on creating PFAS-free alternative materials, although challenges in treatment scalability and energy demands highlight the need for continuous engineering solutions.
This article details the escalating problem of ‘forever chemicals’ (PFAS), highlighting their environmental persistence and negative health impacts, including reduced fertility and increased cancer risk. It notes that even less toxic PFAS polymers can release harmful by-products during production. While regulatory bodies like the EU explore restrictions, chemical producers lobby against bans, disputing claims of high toxicity for certain fluoropolymers.The core of the article focuses on engineering solutions. For detection, researchers at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory developed a portable device capable of quantifying PFAS at 250 parts per quadrillion in minutes. For capture, Rice University created a layered double hydroxide material that is 1,000 times more efficient than others. For destruction, solutions include Gradiant's ForeverGone platform, deployed at Munich International Airport, which uses micro-foam fractionation and electro-oxidation to achieve 99-99.9% removal from industrial wastewater. Other techniques like supercritical water oxidation and hydrothermal alkaline treatment are also mentioned.Despite progress, significant challenges remain, such as high energy demands, engineering scaleability, and the potential formation of toxic by-products. The article also explores the development of PFAS-free alternatives, citing an open-access database listing potential replacements for various applications, while also identifying areas where innovation is still needed, such as in electrolytic hydrogen production. The continuous presence of PFAS due to their intrinsic nature and industry lobbying ensures that more engineering solutions will be required to protect human health and the environment.
