The team built several prototypes, with one, three, and 10 stages, and tested their performance in water of varying salinity, including natural seawater and water that was seven times saltier.
There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, not all of which can be detected with current tests; the U.S. Geological Survey study tested for the presence of 32 types.
At least 45% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have one or more types of the chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Their models are applicable for fresh and saltwater and account for the type, size, shape and ionic charge of the microplastics; as well as the functional compound groups and chain length of PFAS.
"This work may be pertinent to water quality issues both locally and globally," says Benjamin Shindel, a Ph.D. student in Germany. "We want to see this out in the world, where it can make a real impact."
Five of the compounds detected have never before been reported in groundwater anywhere in the world. They're not per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
Despite a massive focus on PFAS substances and pesticide residues in Danish drinking water, little attention is paid to the hundreds of other chemical compounds in our groundwater.
Aquagga, Inc., a Tacoma, Washington-based Public Benefit Corporation, has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Mines for the commercialization of the HALT-PFAS technology.