Researchers find two methods to break down PFAS chemicals
Scientists have identified two ways to destroy PFAS, long-lasting pollutants that resist natural breakdown for decades. One approach uses a membrane that dismantles them with hydrogen and palladium.
By Standard Topic. AI-generated from the reporting listed under Coverage. Published . Updated .
What happened
Scientists have found two ways to destroy PFAS, commonly called forever chemicals. One method is a membrane that uses hydrogen and palladium to break the compounds apart rather than simply trapping them. The chemicals barely break down in nature and can persist for decades or even centuries.
Why it matters
PFAS barely break down in nature and can remain for decades or even centuries, so methods that destroy them rather than only holding them could address that persistence.
Timeline
- Oct 19, 10:25 PM ET: A video reported that PFAS barely break down in nature and can remain for decades or even centuries, while scientists were found to have two ways to destroy them.
- Oct 20, 11:58 AM ET: Scientists reported a membrane that uses hydrogen and palladium to dismantle PFAS instead of just trapping them.
Coverage
- Scientists Built a Membrane That Breaks Down ‘Forever Chemicals’ Instead of Just Trapping Them (zmescience.com)
- Scientists found 2 ways to destroy 'forever chemicals,' and 'forever' may not mean forever (Yahoo News)
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