Since earlier techniques were expensive and technically challenging, the researchers think they have made a significant advancement.
According to the news agencies AFP and BBC, researchers think they have discovered a new technique to dispose of PFAS substances, which can be damaging to the environment and human health.
Using moderate temperatures and common reagents, the procedure developed by researchers at Northwestern University in the United States can be utilized to degrade these hazardous chemicals.
There are 4,500 different perfluorinated alkyl compounds, or PFAS. Because they have water, grease, and dirt-repellent qualities, they are employed in many consumer products. They are utilized, for instance, in frying pans, rain gear, and cosmetics.
Since the 1940s, when compounds were first employed, they have been discovered all over the world. Due to industrial activities and leaking from landfills, contaminants have built up over time in the environment and ended up in the air, soil, groundwater, lakes, and rivers.
The new technique is regarded as a breakthrough by researchers because in the past, high temperatures were needed to destroy chemicals, making purification expensive and technically challenging.
The research team believes that with more investigation, PFAS might one day be removed from drinking water and a fresh technique for eliminating pollutants could be developed.
The commonly utilized PFAS compounds have been discovered to be unhealthy for people and are mainly conveyed through food and drinking water. They may, at worst, cause you to become cancerous or to receive healthy BBC.
The compounds have been referred to as “forever chemicals” because of their characteristics, which have made them challenging to dispose of. The strongest bonds, according to AFP, are made up primarily of fluorine and carbon atoms.