'Forever chemicals' stay in air and water permanently. But scientists found a new way to destroy them.
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.
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.
Currently, PFAS can be filtered out of water but then need to be destroyed somehow.
"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 and waterproof coatings for consumer goods starting in the 1940s and 50s. Since then, the chemicals have been found in all sorts of household items, including carpets, cookware and personal care products.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued new limits for safe levels of PFAS in drinking water in June.
The Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy group focused on toxic chemicals, monitors pollutants in drinking water and estimated in June that 2,000 U.S. communities had levels of PFAS in their drinking water that were above the EPA's new limits