Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, known commonly as PFAS, could take over 40 years to flush out of contaminated groundwater in North Carolina's Cumberland and Bladen counties, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. The study used a novel combination of data on PFAS, groundwater age-dating tracers, and groundwater flux to forecast PFAS concentrations in groundwater discharging to tributaries of the Cape Fear River in North Carolina.
@phil_stevens @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog
That is amazingly important. Sounds like something that could be done economically at all water treatment plants.
@robloblaw @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog It’s dead simple and apparently the breakdown happens without the UV exposure, albeit more slowly. The material itself does not degrade significantly and can be reused many times before replenishing.
@phil_stevens @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog
The only other way to destroy this class of chemicals is burning at over 1000C. Even then, you end up with a bunch of similarly problematic shorter chain fluorinated hydrocarbons.
@robloblaw @I_am_10_squirrels @ProdigalFrog Exactly why they are such a fiendish problem and also why catalytic processes are the way to go.