Silk and cellulose membrane filters PFAS from water

A recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control found that 98 per cent of people tested had detectable levels of PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in their bloodstream.

A new filtration material developed by researchers at MIT could provide a nature-based solution to this contamination issue. The material can remove a variety of these persistent chemicals as well as heavy metals. Furthermore, the material’s antimicrobial properties can help keep the filters from fouling.

The findings are described in ACS  Nano, in a paper by MIT postdoc Yilin Zhang, professor of civil and environmental engineering; Benedetto Marelli, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and four others from MIT. 

PFAS are present in products such as cosmetics, food packaging, water-resistant clothing, firefighting foams, and antistick coating for kitchenware. A recent study identified 57,000 sites contaminated by these chemicals in the US alone. The US Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that PFAS remediation will cost $1.5bn per year, in order to meet new regulations that call for limiting the compound to less than seven parts per trillion in drinking water.