Researchers have developed a reusable material that is 1,000 times better at capturing PFAS chemicals than other methods.
PFAS chemicals are a group of man-made substances defined by a uniquely strong chemical structure that also makes them resistant to grease, water, staining, and breakdown.
Their usefulness for a huge range of applications means they are used ubiquitously in products and manufacturing but, crucially, their strengths also mean they do not break down in the environment.
This, combined with the ease at which they spread through air and water, means these ‘forever chemicals’ are now found in pretty much every environment, ecosystem, and individual on earth.
The question of how to remove PFAS from the environment has been troubling scientists since the early 2000s with hurdles like cost, scalability and the production of new waste products proving difficult to surmount.
But a recent breakthrough by a team of scientists collaborating between Texas and South Korea could prove significant.
The researchers focused on a layered double hydroxide (LDH) made from copper and aluminium and found that one particular form of this material absorbed PFAS at an almost unbelievable efficiency.
“To my astonishment, this LDH compound captured PFAS more than 1,000 times better than other materials,” said Youngkun Chung, a fellow at Rice University’s Water Technologies, Entrepreneurship and Research Institute in Houston, Texas.
“It also worked incredibly fast, removing large amounts of PFAS within minutes, about 100 times faster than commercial carbon filters.”
The team tested the material in river water, tap water and waste water and found that it remained highly effective in both static and continuous-flow settings.
Not only does the LDH mop up PFAS at an unprecedented rate, it can also go through at least six capture cycles before performance deteriorates and more than half of the captured PFAS can be removed after each cycle without producing toxic byproducts.
“We are excited by the potential of this one-of-a-kind LDH-based technology to transform how PFAS-contaminated water sources are treated in the near future,” said Michael S. Wong, professor at Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing.
“It’s the result of an extraordinary international collaboration and the creativity of young researchers.”
The team’s study was recently published in Advanced Materials.
