Once dubbed “forever chemicals,” per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) might be in the market for a new nickname.That’s because adding iodide to a water treatment reactor that uses ultraviolet light and sulfite destroys up to 90% of carbon-fluorine atoms in PFAS in just a few hours, reports a new study led by environmental engineering researchers at University of California-Riverside. The addition of iodide accelerates the speed of the reaction up to four times, saving energy and chemicals.“Iodide is really doing some substantial work,” says corresponding author Jinyong Liu, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering. “Not only does it speed up the
New Photochemical Treatment Breaks Down PFAS
The use of sulfite and iodide under ultraviolet light can destroy PFAS in water in a few hours, according to researchers
May 24, 2022 | by Holly Ober, University of California-Riverside |
