A Northwestern research group has discovered a new way to properly dispose of “forever chemicals.” Forever chemicals, known as PFAS, are human-made chemicals that are categorized as surfactants — compounds that decrease surface tension. They are used in manufacturing disposable items like food packaging products and Teflon. However, these chemicals don’t break down naturally and.
Dane County, Wis., says an experimental technology involving bacteria has been used to clean up toxic forever chemicals at the Madison airport, though county officials have not released any evidence.
William Dichtel’s research with colleague Brittany Trang found that heating a combination of a widely used solvent and lye can destroy many types of common cancer-causing PFAS found in Teflon pans and many other products.