PFAS detection and destruction research

Recent scientific developments have focused on addressing the persistence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’.

In the United States, researchers at Columbia University and City College are working on a biohybrid detection system. This method utilizes engineered yeast, AI-designed receptor proteins, and semiconductor sensors to identify specific compounds like PFOA and PFOS in drinking water. The goal is to create affordable, disposable test strips that provide near-real-time contamination data for municipal water operators.

Complementing detection efforts, researchers at Arizona State University, alongside international partners, have developed a technique to destroy PFAS. While traditional methods typically capture and concentrate these substances, this new approach uses a palladium-coated membrane and hydrogen to break the stable carbon-fluorine bonds, aiming to degrade the chemicals rather than merely collecting them.

Led by Bruce Rittmann at the Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, this destruction method involves a collaboration with Rice University, Tongji University, Nanjing University, and the National University of Singapore. The process uses palladium nanoparticles to convert hydrogen gas into a reactive form that strips fluorine from PFAS molecules. In tests involving six compounds of regulatory concern, the treatment removed more than 90 per cent of each compound and stripped away approximately 83 per cent of the fluorine.