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New Method Destroys 'Forever Chemical' Overnight

Ambient conditions and common materials help to break down one class of forever chemicals in just eight hours.


Scientist holding a vial

Forever chemicals, formally known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are a category of synthetic compounds used in several common fabrication processes and are dreadful for the environment and humans.


However, the good news is that scientists in Japan have developed a new technique that breaks down 100 percent of treated 'forever chemicals' overnight. With common equipment and the same eight hours it takes for you to get some shut-eye, their method fully disassembles two of the most common toxic manufacturing substances. It even allows one beneficial element, fluorine, to be recycled.


Better yet, the entire process occurred at room temperature. That's a feat in itself, a feat unto itself, as previous techniques have required temperatures up to 400 degrees Celsius (752 degrees Fahrenheit).


Forever chemicals' numerous health risks have motivated scientists to devise new PFAS-busting techniques. A mounting stack of methods has managed to filter out or break down specific types of PFAS, including those that contain carboxylic acid. But forever chemicals' numerous forms mean multiple strategies will be necessary to meaningfully reduce their presence in water - a goal the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally introduced earlier this year.


So it's good news that the team at Japan's Ritsumeikan University have figured a way of removing, in an eco-friendly way, the 'forever' from this particular type of 'forever chemical'.

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