Scientists review breakthrough methods to disrupt toxic “forever chemicals” in water

(Press-News.org) Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called “forever chemicals,” are among the most persistent and harmful contaminants threatening global water safety. A new review published in New Contaminants provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of cutting-edge physicochemical technologies for PFAS removal, offering guidance for sustainable solutions.

PFAS are widely used in products such as non-stick cookware, food packaging, firefighting foams, and electronics manufacturing. Their remarkable stability makes them resistant to natural degradation, allowing them to accumulate in rivers, groundwater, and even drinking water supplies. Long-term exposure has been linked to liver disease, immune suppression, and developmental disorders, prompting increasingly strict regulations worldwide.

The review, led by researchers from North China Electric Power University and collaborators, summarizes major advances from the past three years across eight physicochemical approaches: adsorption, membrane separation, electrochemical treatment, UV-based oxidation and reduction, photocatalysis, thermal decomposition, ultrasonic oxidation, and plasma technology. These methods are capable of breaking PFAS’s notoriously strong carbon–fluorine bonds, achieving removal rates exceeding 90% in many cases.

“PFAS pollution is one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time. By reviewing the latest advances in treatment technologies, we hope to provide researchers and policymakers with a roadmap for tackling these persistent pollutants,” said Mingxia Bai, first author of the study.

Despite the progress, the study emphasizes that significant challenges remain. High energy demands, incomplete mineralization, the formation of potentially toxic byproducts, and engineering scalability all limit real-world application. To overcome these barriers, the authors highlight three promising directions: integrating multiple technologies into synergistic systems, designing novel composite materials, and deepening mechanistic understanding of PFAS degradation.

“Our findings suggest that combining multiple treatment strategies and designing novel materials will be key to achieving efficient, low-carbon, and scalable PFAS remediation. This will be essential for protecting water resources and ensuring long-term environmental sustainability,” said Junfeng Niu, corresponding author of the study.

By charting these pathways, the review underscores the importance of developing high-efficiency, low-carbon, and scalable purification strategies to safeguard water resources and protect public health.

 

Journal Reference:

Bai M, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Song C, Cheng Y, Niu J. Disrupting the forever chemicals: cutting-edge physicochemical techniques for PFAS purification. New Contaminants. 2025;1:e002. doi: https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/newcontam-0025-0004 

 

About the Journal:

New Contaminants is an open-access journal focusing on research related to emerging pollutants and their remediation.

 

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