A University of Missouri researcher has discovered a new method to remove so-called “forever chemicals” from our drinking water.
A University of Missouri researcher has discovered a new method to remove so-called “forever chemicals” from our drinking water.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS) are industrial chemicals used to manufacture thousands of products, including cosmetics, carpeting, non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foams, food packaging and waterproof clothing.
They’re everywhere — the environment, our food and even in our bodies. Peer-reviewed studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may lead to decreased fertility, developmental delays in children and increased risk of some cancers. And they take hundreds or even thousands of years to break down.
For roughly the past 10 years, researchers have been looking for ways to remove PFAS from the environment or at least degrade them into harmless, inorganic compounds.
Read more at University of Missouri-Columbia
Image: Associate Professor Feng “Frank” Xiao’s research into PFAS has yielded a simple solution to effectively and efficiently remove forever chemicals from water. (Credit: Zac Anderson/University of Missouri)
