Researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new silicate material that captures a wider range of harmful chemicals, including 4-nonylphenol (4NP) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The chemicals are often found in household appliances and cosmetics and can leach into the environment when discarded. Activated carbon filters are currently used to remove the chemicals from water, but they are only effective against long-chain PFAS with more than six carbon bonds. The industry has shifted to creating short-chain PFAS that are equally toxic and persist in the water. The current filters also concentrate the absorbed chemicals, creating a “highly toxic” form of waste that consumers throw into the garbage, which does not address the problem. The team’s new silicate material can be reused and destroys the chemicals using electrochemical or photochemical processes. Postdoctoral researcher Amira Aker warns that newer technologies are often costly or difficult to scale, and it can be challenging to get cities to adopt them to remove the chemicals in the first place. Furthermore, until more governments take action, it is impossible to avoid the widespread presence of the chemicals.
University of British Columbia researchers have made a breakthrough in the fight against toxic “forever chemicals” found in household appliances, cosmetics and clothing. Despite being banned for manufacture, these chemicals can still leach into the environment when discarded. However, scientists have developed a new silica-based material that can absorb a wider range of these harmful chemicals and have also created new tools to break them apart. The chemicals, also known as PFAS, are used for non-stick or stain-resistant surfaces in clothing, cookware, stain repellents and firefighting foam. But they are notoriously difficult to break down naturally, hence the name “forever chemicals”. The breakthrough is very promising because it can target the difficult-to-break chemical bonds and break them for good, according to researcher Madjid Mohseni, who focuses on water quality and water treatment. The chemicals have been linked to elevated cholesterol, hormonal disruption, infertility, cardiovascular disease and cancers, which were not initially known when they were assumed to be harmless. Although Canada has banned the manufacture of the chemicals, they are still widely present in the environment. The new material and tool have the potential to significantly reduce the lifespan of the toxic chemicals.
Postdoctoral researcher Amira Aker warns that PFAS chemicals can accumulate in the human body and are passed on to fetuses and newborn babies. Canada has banned the manufacture of PFAS, but the chemicals are still found in household appliances and cosmetics and can leach into the environment when discarded. According to Aker, the age of a person is linked to the amount of PFAS present in their body. Furthermore, scientists still do not know how long it takes for some PFAS compounds to break down, as they were first created in the 1940s and still exist in the environment. Activated carbon filters are currently used to remove the chemicals from water, but they are only effective against long-chain PFAS with more than six carbon bonds. The industry has shifted to creating short-chain PFAS that are equally toxic and persist in the water. The current filters also concentrate the absorbed chemicals, creating a “highly toxic” form of waste that consumers throw into the garbage, which does not address the problem. To solve this issue, researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new silicate material that captures a wider range of chemicals and can be reused. The researchers use either electrochemical or photochemical processes to break the carbon-fluorine bond and destroy the chemicals. The new technology can be used to combat PFAS in drinking water and at industrial sites where high concentrations of the chemicals are released into water supplies. Two months ago, UBC researchers found high levels of 4-nonylphenol, a PFAS chemical used in pulp and paper processing, in endangered southern resident killer whales. The chemical is also found in soap, detergents, and textile processing.
A recent study has found high levels of 4-nonylphenol (4NP) in endangered southern resident killer whales. The chemical is a “contaminant of emerging concern” and can bioaccumulate in smaller organisms before being ingested by the orcas, making them among the most contaminated cetaceans in the world. Researchers also studied the transfer of pollutants from mother to foetus in one pair of southern resident killer whales and found that most of the pollutants were transferred in the womb. Nearly 95% of 4NP was transferred from mother to foetus. To combat the issue, researchers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new silicate material that captures a wider range of chemicals, including 4NP, and can be reused. The team is conducting a pilot project to test the real-world effectiveness of their technology and plans to start another in April in British Columbia. However, postdoctoral researcher Amira Aker warns that newer technologies are often costly or difficult to scale, and it can be challenging to get cities to adopt them to remove the chemicals in the first place. Furthermore, until more governments take action, it is impossible to avoid the widespread presence of the chemicals. One solution is for the industry to stop using the chemicals altogether.
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