An illuminating process being developed in Japan can shorten the life spans of some troublesome forever chemicals, also called PFAS.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) consist of thousands of pesky chemicals that are part of many everyday items, including nonstick cookware. The substances are leaching into our water and, astoundingly, are in the majority of blood samples being tested in recent studies, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council. A Harvard report cites research that has linked PFAS to cancer, high cholesterol, asthma, and other disease risks.
Now, researchers at Ritsumeikan University are shining a light on the problem. Using visible LEDs, the experts were able to break down perfluorooctanesulfonate PFAS in eight hours at room temperature. About 81% of Nafion, another forever chemical, was broken down in 24 hours, all per a lab summary.
"The proposed methodology is promising for the effective decomposition of diverse perfluoroalkyl substances under gentle conditions," Professor Yoichi Kobayashi, the lead author of the study, said in the summary.
There's a little more chemistry involved than simply shining LEDs on the hard-to-destroy substances. The PFAS are put in a solution with various types of semiconducting nanocrystals, which create electrons when irradiated. The electrons break down the carbon-fluorine bonds holding the molecules of the forever chemicals together, all per the lab report.
This innovative approach can recover fluorine from waste PFAS, reducing the need for new fluorine production. The substance is used in the pharmaceutical and clean energy industries, among others, the experts added in the description.
"This technique will contribute to the development of recycling technologies for fluorine elements, which are used in various industries and support our prosperous society," Kobayashi said.
It's a big improvement on current methods to mitigate PFAS, which require temperatures of 752 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the lab report.
PFAS are being targeted by government rulemaking. Harvard notes that regulations limit the types of forever chemicals that are allowed in drinking water. They were prohibited from being used in food packaging by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year.
You can take some easy steps at home to limit exposure, as well. Keeping plastic out of the microwave is a good start. A Nebraska University study found that billions of nanoplastics, some made from PFAS, are released when the synthetic containers are microwaved.
You can also support planet-friendly brands with a track record of clean production methods or those that use a circular process.
If you have kids, a toy subscription service might make sense. Kids get up to 40 pounds of new toys each year, much of which ends up in the trash at some point. A service like The Toy Nest could halve your expenses annually if you spend the typical $300 a year on new toys.
At Ritsumeikan, the researchers plan to continue work on their process that can efficiently reduce forever chemicals to reusable fluorine, keeping the harmful substances from leaching further into our lives and "significantly contributing toward the establishment of a sustainable fluorine-recycling society," as Kobayashi said in the lab report.
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