With so much talk recently about so-called “forever chemicals,” it’s no wonder that people everywhere are obsessed with finding ways to use new technologies to remove these old toxins from the water and soil found on Earth.
Thankfully, a new solution was developed by the University of British Columbia which works to filter out then destroy these forever chemicals, being both cheap and effective at purifying the water at that.
UBC Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor, Dr. Madjid Mohseni, who developed the technology said, “Think Brita filter, but a thousand times better.”
Usually called PFAS, which is an abbreviation for poly-fluoroalkyl substances, these forever chemicals are in the thousands and generally are the things that make products “stain-resistant” or “non-stick.”
However, when people have too much exposure to these kinds of chemicals, it can lead to a number of health issues, from cancer to hormonal dysregulation.
When it comes to PFAS contamination, one of the main challenges is that they are normally part of the sprays and foams that are used by firefighters to combat blazes in houses and in the woods. Once dispensed, these pollute the groundwater or flow into the rivers and taint drinking water, more so in smaller areas without sufficient filtration systems or equipment.
Dr. Mohseni explained, “Our adsorbing media captures up to 99% of PFAS particles and can also be regenerated and potentially reused. This means that when we scrub off the PFAS from these materials, we do not end up with more highly toxic solid waste that will be another major environmental challenge.”
The study results, which were published in the journal Chemosphere, show that when these PFAS particles are collected, they are destroyed using electrical and photochemical processes.
During the study, Dr. Mohseni and his team also tested their device on perfluorooctanoic acid, a PFAS that’s often found in contaminated water. Soon, they will be preparing a real-world test in various locations around B.C.
“The results we obtain from these real-world field studies will allow us to further optimize the technology and have it ready as products that municipalities, industry and individuals can use to eliminate PFAS in their water,” said Dr. Mohseni.
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