Barely visible material that looks like tiny grains of sand may hold the key to removing an invisible health threat that has contaminated water supplies across the country.
Barely visible material that looks like tiny grains of sand may hold the key to removing an invisible health threat that has contaminated water supplies across the country. Researchers at PNNL have successfully tested highly porous materials and found they can absorb key components of a class of toxic chemicals found in 43 states.
Materials scientists at PNNL are experts in optimizing metal organic frameworks or MOFs. These nano-sized porous materials, with metal centers, can attract, hold, and then later release specific chemicals. PNNL researchers recently demonstrated a MOF that quickly takes up fluorinated compounds that were widely used in firefighting foam and non-stick cookware.
These per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) resist grease and water, so they have been used in some food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, and cosmetics. Contamination of drinking water is typically associated with a specific facility like a manufacturing plant or military base. PFAS don’t break down in the environment or in human bodies.
Read more at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
