Researchers at Rice University and partner institutions used a membrane to break down six "forever chemicals" in water, achieving removal rates of up to 99%.
Here's what to know
The study, published in PNAS, involved a team at Rice University working with China's Tongji University and Arizona State University, according to Food Safety Magazine.
The researchers used six per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to evaluate the hydrogen-based catalytic membranes: GenX chemicals, PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, and PFBS.
The system achieved 83% overall defluorination efficiency, a measure of how effectively it stripped fluorine from the compounds. During the 58-day continuous-flow test, it removed 93% to 99% of the six substances.
The researchers see potential for a lower-energy treatment option because the process operated under ambient conditions. Their experiments showed that it could both remove pollutants and destroy PFAS in water through a previously unidentified route.
More background
PFAS can reach the food chain and build up in the environment and human body. Used for decades in industrial processes and consumer products, they remain in water systems because their strong carbon-fluorine bonds make them difficult to break down.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
The health concerns associated with exposure to certain PFAS include liver damage, immune system effects, developmental complications, higher cholesterol, and an increased risk of some cancers.
In April 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established the country's first legally binding national drinking water standards for these six PFAS. Their regulatory importance led the researchers to select them for the study.
The Trump administration subsequently withdrew the requirements for the other four PFAS while leaving the PFOA and PFOS standards in place.
What's being done?
The researchers' system feeds hydrogen through palladium-coated hollow-fiber membranes, according to Food Safety Magazine. The metal serves two purposes: It helps trap PFAS in contaminated water and activates the hydrogen used to break their carbon-fluorine bonds.
Through a process called hydrodefluorination, hydrogen progressively replaces fluorine atoms. This produces less-fluorinated or nonfluorinated compounds, while fluoride ions carry away the removed fluorine.
Following the 58-day experiment, researchers will need to establish how effectively the system performs under real-world water-treatment conditions and whether it can be scaled up.
Where can I learn more?
Researchers are also testing ways to destroy PFAS with UV light and detect them with phone-linked sensors. These stories explore those destruction methods, along with water-testing tools, contamination estimates, and household filtration repairs.
• Scientists have identified two ways to destroy the persistent pollutants known as forever chemicals.
• In California, engineers traced how UV light destroys PFAS in contaminated water.
• Researchers in Japan built a phone-linked sensor that detects forever chemicals in water.
• Counting low PFAS readings as zero may hide half the contamination in U.S. drinking water.
• Reddit users suggested a $30 replacement membrane could fix a homeowner's aging reverse osmosis system.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
