A team of chemical engineers at the University of British Columbia(UBC) has unveiled a treatment that traps and breaks down perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated chemicals(PFAS), also known as “permanent chemicals.”
Capture and destruction of permanent chemicals
This program was developed under the direction of Dr. Johan Foster, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at UBC, the system integrates an activated carbon filter with a patented catalyst that captures PFAS substances and breaks them down into harmless components. “Our system will remove and destroy these substances from the water supply before they can harm our health,” Foster commented.
The process, known as adsorption, is fast and efficient, allowing large volumes of water to be treated with a removal rate of up to 85% of PFASs, even in low ultraviolet light conditions. This makes it a viable solution in areas with little sun exposure.
The system is useful for treating drinking water in municipal systems, and can also be applied in specialized industrial settings. The team has founded the company ReAct Materials to commercialize the technology and explore its use in industrial waste stream cleanup. In addition, the system is more economical and sustainable than current technologies, as it can be produced from forestry or agricultural waste.
This scientific breakthrough was funded by an NSERC Discovery grant and details were published in. Nature Communications Engineering.
“Our catalyst can remove up to 90% of permanent chemicals from water in as little as three hours, significantly faster than comparable solutions on the market. And because it can be produced from forestry or agricultural waste, it is more economical and sustainable compared to the more complex and costly methods currently in use.”
Dr. Johan Foster stated.
Follow us on social networks and don’t miss any of our publications!
YouTube LinkedIn Facebook Instagram X
Source: UBC
Photo: Paul Joseph / UBC Applied Science
Loading...
