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https://theconversation.com/how-to-destroy-a-forever-chemical-scientists-are-discovering-ways-to-eliminate-pfas-but-this-growing-global-health-problem-isnt-going-away-soon-188965>
"PFAS chemicals seemed like a good idea at first. As Teflon, they made pots
easier to clean starting in the 1940s. They made jackets waterproof and carpets
stain-resistant. Food wrappers, firefighting foam, even makeup seemed better
with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.
Then tests started detecting PFAS in people’s blood.
Today, PFAS are pervasive in soil, dust and drinking water around the world.
Studies suggest they’re in 98% of Americans’ bodies, where they’ve been
associated with health problems including thyroid disease, liver damage and
kidney and testicular cancer. There are now over 9,000 types of PFAS. They’re
often referred to as “forever chemicals” because the same properties that make
them so useful also ensure they don’t break down in nature.
Scientists are working on methods to capture these synthetic chemicals and
destroy them, but it isn’t simple.
The latest breakthrough, published Aug. 18, 2022, in the journal
Science,
shows how one class of PFAS can be broken down into mostly harmless components
using sodium hydroxide, or lye, an inexpensive compound used in soap. It isn’t
an immediate solution to this vast problem, but it offers new insight.
Biochemist A. Daniel Jones and soil scientist Hui Li work on PFAS solutions at
the Michigan State University and explained the promising PFAS destruction
techniques being tested today."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
