Fri-Bank Robbers Say the Same Thing About Money

This Could Be a Big F-ing Deal

PFAS, a class of synthetic chemicals used in the manufacture of consumer products, can linger permanently in the air, water and soil, which is why they're often referred to as "forever chemicals."

The chemicals are associated with low birth weight, high cholesterol, thyroid disease and an increased risk of certain cancers. A study published earlier this month found that exposure to high levels of PFOS — a type of PFAS once used to make items such as clothing and food packaging resistant to stains, grease and water — was associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. Its sister chemical, PFOA, has been associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer.

So scientists have tried for years to find ways to break down PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. On Thursday, researchers at Northwestern University published a study showing that PFAS can be destroyed using two relatively harmless chemicals: sodium hydroxide or lye, a chemical used to make soap, and dimethyl sulfoxide, a chemical approved as a medication for bladder pain syndrome.

Previously, the only operational way to break down PFAS was to expose the particles to extremely high temperatures — sometimes above 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit — in an incinerator. But that energy-intensive process can still release harmful chemicals into the environment.

The new method appears to be safer and more energy-efficient. The Northwestern scientists added PFAS molecules to a solution of lye and dimethyl sulfoxide and exposed them to temperatures of up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. The chemicals degraded into fluoride ions and other harmless byproducts.

"One specific portion of these molecules falls off and sets off a cascade of reactions that ultimately breaks these PFAS compounds down to relatively benign products," William Dichtel, a professor of chemistry at Northwestern University who co-authored the study, said on a call with reporters.

PFAS are nearly impossible to destroy because of their strong carbon-fluorine bonds. Brittany Trang, another co-author, compared the process of breaking apart the molecules to smashing a Lego block to bits.

Currently, PFAS can be filtered out of water but then need to be destroyed somehow. If the chemicals are dumped in a landfill or tossed in an incinerator, they can still pollute the environment.

"The current way that people will try to dispose of firefighting foams that contain PFAS is to incinerate them, but there has been evidence that these incinerators are actually just blowing the PFAS around the community in which the incinerator is located," Trang said. "So there’s a need for a method to get rid of PFAS in a way that does not continue to pollute."

"This could be a breakthrough if it is low cost," chemicals policy lead and fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Camilla Alexander-White, tells BBC News.