PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are often referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ and are man-made substances that remain undegraded for thousands of years. When these chemicals enter human bodies, there is no known way to remove them, leading to the accumulation of this hormone-disrupting chemical, which can cause cancer. Past researchers have found that PFAS can be found anywhere, including fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and take-out pizza1.
Though there have been multiple regulations passed to ban products associated with PFAS, it has been difficult to detect which products are subjected to this chemical. However, new research published in Elsevier’s Journal of Hazardous Materials by an NJIT chemistry research team has proposed a way to find this chemical in under three minutes.
Dr. Hao Chen, the study’s author and NJIT professor of chemistry and environmental science, stated to NJIT News that “PFAS can be ionized and detected by a high-resolution mass spectrometry, giving us a clear view of each PFAS species present and the degree of contamination down to parts-per-trillion level.” This study has opened doors to new and easy analysis of this toxic chemical that has been unknowingly seeping into everyday life.
The future goal of this project, as outlined by Chen, is to make the detection automated, so the process for the detection can be made faster and the sample numbers can be significantly increased. Furthermore, he suggested that “ideally, we would want to have portable instruments which can be used for real-time detection.” This is seen as an important step to protect the population from PFAS exposure, as the tolerance for these chemicals has been significantly decreasing in recent years.
The PFAS spectrometry detection’s future implementation is still in the developmental stage. Chen stated that for the future, the expectation is to either have a method available for easier use by the public, or to start a company that can serve people by analyzing the samples provided and thus help bring awareness to this pressing issue.
A question that might arise after learning about PFAS is, “How can this undegradable chemical be removed?” To explore this question and find ways to safely remove the contaminants from the environment, Chen has been actively working with other chemistry researchers to find treatments that can degrade these chemicals. Thus, the team is now advancing the research from detection of the chemical to safe removal.
The research doesn’t end here; rather, it is the first step to understanding an effective way to find these forever chemicals. Chen suggests that “there’s more work we can do in terms of further improving the technology. The future focus would be on novel chemistry or instrumentation to make the device and technology better.”
