SmallTalks "New Metal Material Uses Electricity to Help Clean Water from Toxic Chemicals such as PFAS"

Abstract 

PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” are man-made substances that pollute water all over the world because they don’t break down easily and can be harmful to people and nature. This study tested a brand-new nanostructured material made of three different metals, designed to help remove one type of PFAS (called PFOA) from water using electricity. The special metal coating of transition metals from periodic table was built up on titanium metal using an electrical process. This is the first time this specific combination has been tried to clean up PFAS. The new material was able to remove nearly all the PFOA from water (about 98%) in four hours, using very little energy and at a lower cost than other materials which means it could be a more effective and affordable way to help make polluted water safer to use for non-potable human needs.