Breaking down PFAS, a technological challenge taken up by Japanese researchers
THE SCOURGE OF PFAS 4/5. In Japan, several teams of scientists are working to find a technology to break down PFAS, known as “eternal pollutants” due to their solidity. While some solutions are producing concrete results, there are still obstacles to overcome before they can be implemented in real-world conditions, reports the Japanese daily newspaper “Asahi Shimbun.” This is the fourth episode of our series on the dangers of PFAS.
Chemically very stable, PFAS, organofluorine compounds, hardly decompose in nature, hence the name “eternal pollutants”. Currently, teams of researchers are struggling to find a method to decompose them into harmless substances.
Their health effects are worrying: PFOS [perfluorooctane sulfonate] and PFOA [perfluorooctanoic acid], two substances that belong to the PFAS family, are singled out for their links to reduced liver function, reduced weight in newborns, and kidney and breast cancers.
Across Japan, PFAS concentrations above the reference values have been detected in wells and streams. Water purification campaigns using activated carbon [which traps these pollutants without breaking them down] have been launched. However, if the carbon is not properly stored after use, it cannot be ruled out that it could one day spread into the environment and become a new source of pollution. This is why it is important to find solutions to break down PFAS into harmless substances.
Incineration is currently one of the most common techniques. However, decomposition com
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