{"id":117217,"date":"2023-05-21T11:18:35","date_gmt":"2023-05-21T15:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/?p=117217"},"modified":"2023-05-21T09:57:16","modified_gmt":"2023-05-21T13:57:16","slug":"forever-chemicals-can-now-be-eliminated-using-new-technology-breakthrough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savethewater.org\/forever-chemicals-can-now-be-eliminated-using-new-technology-breakthrough\/","title":{"rendered":"Forever Chemicals Can Now be Eliminated Using New Technology Breakthrough"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Samhar Almomani, Publishing Associate<\/span>: Researcher and Writer<\/span> at Save the Water\u2122 | May 21, 2023<\/span><\/p>\n

Forever Chemicals, i.e., per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are difficult to eliminate and stay in the environment for a long time. Researchers and engineers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are working on eliminating these chemicals. Specifically, they have <\/span>developed a new water treatment<\/span><\/a>. This treatment would result in tap water that is safer to consume. The Canadian researchers have begun <\/span>\u00a0launching a real-world pilot<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0This new treatment proves exciting because it may permanently remove forever chemicals. As a result, people with water treated with this technology need not worry about forever chemicals lingering in their water supply.<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are Forever Chemicals?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Forever chemicals, or (PFAS), are widely used chemicals which are considered<\/span> long lasting<\/span><\/a>. Their nickname reflects the fact that they take a long time to break down. Because people use PFAS a lot,<\/span> PFAS persist in the environment<\/span><\/a>. The chemicals are resistant to water, grease, and heat. Therefore,\u00a0 these chemicals are often found in the blood of people and animals. PFAS are also present in small amounts in various foods and the environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they get in our body, they accumulate,\u201d <\/span>said Dr. Madjid Mohseni, the UBC chemical and biological engineering professor<\/span><\/a> who spearheaded the new treatment. \u201cThey don\u2019t break down and they interfere with a lot of functions that our body does.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Are Forever Chemicals Considered Dangerous?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed strict limitations on six types of PFAS<\/span><\/a>, as public health experts are now learning about the <\/span>dangerous effects of these chemicals<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0 A number of studies link PFAS with:<\/span><\/p>\n