PFAS Research

As consumer and industrial products roll into the market, they are often advertised as completely safe or organic but these statements should be taken with a grain of salt. In the race for ensuring consumer convenience, consumer protection takes a back seat. A noteworthy example of this phenomenon is the incorporation of PFAS, a class of carcinogenic compounds, into household products such as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant carpets and clothing, and firefighting foam. PFAS, or Perflouroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, are known as “forever chemicals” because of their peculiar resistance to degradation. This is caused by PFAS’ strong carbon-fluorine covalent bond; carbon and fluorine’s large electronegativity difference results in their bond expressing partial ionic character and higher bond strength. Further alarming is the fact that, according to a survey by Sapio Research, 80% of consumers are not familiar with “forever chemicals” and the term PFAS, nor are they aware of the health risks of the compounds.  

Unfortunately, PFAS is widespread and human exposure to the substance is incredibly common since it can be consumed via contaminated water, food, or air. For instance, PFAS can be released from the surface of non-stick pans if cooking at high temperatures. One report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans. Presently, PFAS is spreading exponentially after the products it was in are discarded, PFAS inevitably leaks into the environment, contaminating groundwater.

New Research and Future Prospects

Though, not all hope is lost. A University of California in Riverside (UCR) Research Team have discovered that microorganisms of the genus Acetobacterium, common in wastewater environments, can cleave the C-F chemical bonds of PFAS, effectively destroying the substance. However, the bacteria only seemed capable of performing this miracle on unsaturated PFAS compounds with double carbon-carbon bonds. This research is revolutionary because it advances the search for low-cost water treatment options and for new versions of the bacterium-converted enzyme to fight a variety of PFAS compounds. After all, PFAS are part of a group of 15,000 synthetic chemicals, according to a chemicals database maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.