It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Wednesday, September 04, 2024
Project takes aim at 'forever chemicals' with a new hybrid 'SonoBio' technology
Ultrasound technology could be key to enabling the biological breakdown of so-called 'forever chemicals', say researchers from the University of Surrey. 'Forever chemicals' are a class of extremely persistent synthetic chemicals that, even at low levels, may increase cancer risk and cause hormonal disruption and developmental abnormalities.
The research team has been awarded £947,000 from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to conduct a first-of-its-kind pilot that will use ultrasound technology in combination with biodegradation to break down per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are still commonly found in products like pizza boxes, dental floss, and cookware.
SonoBio is a hybrid technology that combines high-frequency ultrasound with the activity of microorganisms to treat PFAS and turn them into relatively harmless carbon dioxide and fluoride.
Dr Madeleine Bussemaker, project lead from the University of Surrey, said:
"These chemicals are everywhere, found in nearly every person and countless everyday products. They're incredibly tough to break down, which is why they stick around in our bodies and the environment for decades.
"That is why we are delighted to have the support of UKRI in our effort to one day render obsolete the 'forever chemicals' tag attached to these persistent chemicals."
Current methods struggle to fully degrade PFAS, especially when using biological processes alone. While high-frequency ultrasound can completely break down PFAS, it is most effective in certain forms and for high concentrations. The engineering of biological processes, with microbial electrochemistry, can recover energy and make the process more sustainable. So, by combining high-frequency ultrasound with (electro)microbial action, SonoBio could be a powerful, sustainable solution for the complete breakdown and removal of PFAS from the environment.
Professor Claudio Avignone Rossa from the University of Surrey said:
"This is a strong project directed to address the important issue of the 'forever chemicals', ubiquitous substances affecting human, animal and environmental health and wellbeing. This is a multi- and inter-disciplinary collaboration that combines our strong basic and applied background in chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry and bioanalysis, allowing us to design strategies to degrade those pollutants and reduce their severe, long-lasting effects."
The pilot begins in 2025.
Note to editors
Dr Madeleine Bussemaker is available for interview; please contact mediarelations@surrey.ac.uk to arrange.
Levels of one ‘forever chemical’ are increasing in groundwater, study finds
American Chemical Society
Rain and water in ponds and lakes slowly seeps into the soil, moving through minute cracks to refill underground aquifers. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often described as forever chemicals, can tag along into groundwater that’s later removed for drinking. Researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology Letters analyzed water from over 100 wells in Denmark for one particularly persistent PFAS: trifluoroacetate. They report steadily increasing levels of the forever chemical in recent decades.
Trifluoroacetate forms when fluorinated gases, such as refrigerants, and fluorinated pesticides partially degrade in the environment. Water passing through air and soil picks up trifluoroacetate, transporting the persistent and mobile compound into groundwater aquifers. However, potable groundwater sources haven’t been widely tested for trifluoroacetate because there isn’t a regulatory limit for it beyond the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) limit on total PFAS in drinking water of 0.5 parts per billion (ppb). So, Christian Albers and Jürgen Sültenfuss wanted to thoroughly assess groundwater in Denmark for this contaminant, looking for potential changes in the past 60 years.
The researchers collected samples from 113 groundwater monitoring wells around Denmark. They analyzed the samples for trifluoroacetate and, using an established tritium-helium isotope method, calculated how long ago the water entered the underground aquifers. Overall, their data showed a trend of increasing trifluoroacetate concentrations since the 1960s. Specifically, groundwater from:
Before 1960 had unmeasurable levels.
1960 to 1980 contained 0.06 ppb on average.
1980 to 2000 contained 0.24 ppb on average.
2000 to the 2020s contained 0.6 ppb on average, which exceeds the EEA’s total PFAS limit in drinking water.
The researchers attribute concentration differences within time periods to changing atmospheric deposition, plant uptake and local pesticide application. For example, pesticides that might be precursors for trifluoroacetate have been applied to agricultural areas within Denmark since the late 1960s. On the basis of those observations, the researchers say that trifluoroacetate concentrations could be used to categorize when groundwater entered aquifers, such as after 1985 or before 2000, rather than using more sophisticated and tedious dating methods that require isotopes. Additionally, Albers says some particularly high trifluoroacetate concentrations in groundwater less than 10 years old could suggest local sources have recently become more important, such as fluorinated pesticide applications.
The authors acknowledge funding from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Danish Groundwater Monitoring Program.
The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.
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