Scientists Destroyed 95% of Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' in Just 45 Minutes, Study Reports

By Becky Ferreira | Vice | January 3, 2023

Read the full article by Becky Ferreira (Vice)

"Scientists have invented a new way to destroy toxic substances known as “forever chemicals” that have become widespread in waterways around the world, presenting risks to human health and biodiversity, reports a recent study. The technique successfully broke down 95 percent of the pernicious chemicals, called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in just 45 minutes.

PFAS compounds are a complex group of chemicals that were first commercially manufactured in the 1940s, and quickly became ubiquitous in products such as cosmetics, cookware, textiles, among countless others.

In recent decades, scientists have discovered that PFAS take an extremely long time to break down in water, a problem that has led to global contamination of groundwater, rainwater, drinking water, and other systems. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to ecological damage and a host of human health problems, including certain cancers, which has galvanized researchers across many fields to find new ways of removing these toxic chemicals from water systems."