Scientists think they've figured out how to break down 'forever chemicals'

Cancer-linked PFAS are polluting our drinking water, endangering our marine wildlife and causing little-understood health complications - and there's virtually no way to get rid of them.

But now, two separate teams of international scientists believe they've found an effective way to break down the so-called "forever chemicals" into harmless products like carbon and salt.

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been given the "forever chemicals" moniker due to their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, which nothing in nature can break.

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They have been used in industrial appliances in Australia and overseas for decades due to their heat, water, stain and grease-resistant properties, but in recent years have come into the spotlight as the growing health implications come to light.

The chemicals have been linked to raising cholesterol levels, interfering with the body's hormones, impacting fertility and increasing the risk of certain cancers.

While some recycling methods are emerging, they generally require strong chemicals or extremely high temperatures, limiting their use at a commercial level.

Now, a research team from China says it has found a way to break down PFAS using light-activated catalysts.

The catalyst absorbs light and uses this energy to break the carbon–fluorine bonds at temperatures similar to operating a washing machine, from 40 degrees to 60 degrees.

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When the PFAS polytetrafluoroethylene was treated using this method, it broke down into carbon and fluoride salts.

The researchers also successfully broke down perfluorocarbons, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and perfluorooctanoic acid into carbonate, formate, oxalate and trifluoroacetate, which can be safely recycled as salts.

In a separate study, US researchers from Colorado State University experimented with a different light-absorbing catalyst.

When combined with a fluoride, the blue-light-absorbing catalyst was also found to be effective at breaking down the PFAS.

The scientists say their method uses readily available chemicals that have the potential to be used at scale.

The results of both studies have been published in the scientific journal Nature today.

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