THE ESSENTIAL
- New technology reduces PFAS in drinking water by 99%.
- This discovery might be very important for the most remote populations such as those in rural, remote and indigenous communities.
- Trials are yet to be conducted this year in Canada.
99% less residue in drinking water is the promise made by a technology that has just been developed by researchers. It is a material that absorbs per- and polyfluoroalkyls, better known as PFAS, which are substances with chemical properties that can be dangerous to health.
PFAS, chemicals dangerous to health
According the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES)“the toxicity of these chemical compounds is multiple: they cause an increase in cholesterol levels, can lead to cancer, cause effects on fertility and fetal development. They are also suspected of interfering with the endocrine (thyroid) and immune system”.
In detail, the researchers have developed a material which, thanks to an electrochemical process, can absorb and destroy PFAS in water. According to Dr. Madjid Mohseni, a biologist who developed the technology, “our adsorbent supports capture up to 99% of PFAS particles and can (…) potentially be reused, he explains, in a communiqué. This means that when we remove PFAS, it does not generate even more toxic solid waste which is another major environmental challenge.”. This technology is presented in the review Chemosphere.
Improve drinking water for certain populations
For the researchers, this new material might be very important for less developed countries, especially areas where drinking water may be contaminated. They cite the populations of rural, remote and indigenous communities in Canada as an example. Thus, this technology might be an easy-to-use solution to reduce health risks.
In 2023, scientists must test their technology in British Columbia, a province in western Canada. “The results we get from these field studies, in the real world, allow us to better optimize the technology and better prepare it to be a product that can [être adapté aux besoins] municipalities, industry but also individuals.”
