This summer has seen some important developments regarding PFAS, with new potentials for remediation, and an accelerated commitment from government and science to address the health effects of PFAS contamination.
PFAS compounds may not be “forever” after all
Two recent studies show ways to destroy carbon-fluorine bond that are safer and more practical than those now in use. Remediation can remove PFAS from water, but destruction of the PFAS molecules themselves is far more difficult. These discoveries may point the way to eventually removing PFAS from the environment altogether.
In a study published this month in Science, Northwestern University researchers showed that PFAS can be destroyed by adding PFAS molecules to a solution of lye and dimethyl sulfoxide and exposing them to temperatures of up to 248 degrees Fahrenheit. The chemicals degraded into fluoride ions and other harmless byproducts. The treatment attacks a weak point in the PFAS molecule and causes a cascading collapse of the molecular structure.
In another study, scientists at the University of California, Riverside discovered that adding iodide to a water treatment reactor that uses ultraviolet (UV) light and sulfite destroys up to 90% of carbon-fluorine atoms in PFAS in just a few hours. The addition of iodide accelerates the speed of the reaction up to four times, saving energy and chemicals.
EPA updates advisories, adds billions in funding
As part of a government-wide effort to confront PFAS pollution, the EPA is making available $1 billion in grant funding to help communities that are on the front lines of PFAS contamination, the first of $5 billion that can be used to reduce PFAS in drinking water in communities facing disproportionate impacts. These funds can be used in small or disadvantaged communities to address emerging contaminants like PFAS in drinking water.
On June 15, 2022, EPA issued updated drinking water health advisories for PFAS that replace those EPA issued in 2016. The updated advisory levels, which are based on new science and consider lifetime exposure, indicate that some negative health effects may occur with concentrations of PFOA or PFOS in water that are near zero.
For information on how QEC can support your lab’s PFAS program, please contact QEC’s Customer Service Team or call 800-255-3950.
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