PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are widespread environmental contaminants. They have been detected in human blood and even Antarctic snow, and are associated with increased risks of cancer, developmental delays, and reduced immune response. A 2022 report found that 89% of the US population had PFAS levels above a common threshold for potential health effects, and 9% exceeded a higher risk level. More than 12,000 PFAS compounds exist, but cleanup research has concentrated on only a small fraction.
Cleanup strategies generally fall into two camps: trapping and destroying. Reverse osmosis can filter PFAS at the point of use, while foam fractionation and nanothin layers of charged metal are being explored for larger-scale removal. However, trapping leaves behind a concentrated PFAS brine that must be destroyed, an expensive and energy-intensive process. Jack Huang, a professor at the University of Georgia, is testing electrochemical degradation, which uses electrodes to break the carbon-fluorine bonds; in tests, it destroyed more than 90% of PFAS mass and has been licensed by the engineering consulting firm AECOM.
Policy efforts have made some headway. The EPA's PFOA Stewardship Program cut releases of that compound by 95%, and Minnesota, Maine, and New Mexico have passed bans on PFAS in products such as cookware and dental floss. But new PFAS compounds are still being created and used, so cleanup alone will not solve the problem. As the source notes, progress will be for naught if the tap is not turned off.