Approximately 20% of all pharmaceuticals now contain fluorine. While it enhances drug effectiveness by increasing persistence in the body, it also increases persistence in the environment.
Both freshwater and brackish water diatoms show population declines when exposed to sucralose, with freshwater diatoms experiencing the most significant impact.
New York tops the list, with a staggering 53.3% of its population – over 10.5 million people – served by water systems with health-based or acute PFAS violations.
A staggering 71 to 95 million Americans – more than 20% of the population – may be relying on groundwater contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for their drinking water.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is vowing to speed up the cleanup of toxic "forever chemicals" at military bases nationwide, following new drinking water standards set by the EPA.
While the researchers plan to further improve the material's durability and scalability, they envision it initially being used in point-of-use filters attached to kitchen faucets.