UC Riverside researchers accelerate 'forever chemical' destruction with iodide

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, have developed a method to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," by introducing iodide into a specialized water treatment reactor. This advancement provides a faster, more scalable way to break down some of the most persistent synthetic pollutants in the environment.

The system utilizes a combination of ultraviolet (UV) light and sulfite, but the addition of iodide acts as a critical catalyst. According to UC Riverside News, this modification accelerates the chemical reaction speed by up to four times compared to the original UV/sulfite process. The resulting reaction is capable of destroying up to 90% of the carbon-fluorine atoms within PFAS molecules in just a few hours.

The challenge of PFAS

PFAS have been used in industrial applications since the 1940s and are defined by their extreme resistance to biodegradation. This persistence is due to the strength of the carbon-fluorine bond, one of the strongest in organic chemistry. Because these chemicals do not break down naturally, they accumulate in human bodies and the environment, leading to various negative health effects. Traditional water treatment infrastructure is generally unable to remove these substances, creating an urgent need for photochemical degradation techniques that can actually dismantle the molecular structure.

Industrial implications

This breakthrough is particularly significant because it handles concentrations of PFAS ten times higher than previous methods. Jinyong Liu, an assistant professor of chemical and environmental engineering at UC Riverside, noted that iodide not only increases speed but allows for the treatment of these higher concentrations, including "very recalcitrant structures" such as perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS).

Beyond simple water filtration, the system can destroy concentrated PFAS found in brine solutions. This capability is critical for groundwater remediation efforts that utilize ion-exchange resins, which concentrate PFAS into a waste stream that must then be destroyed. By increasing the capacity and speed of the reaction, the method reduces the energy and chemical costs associated with large-scale waste disposal.

Future outlook

While the laboratory results demonstrate a viable path for industrial-scale remediation, the next steps involve scaling the technology for widespread environmental use. The ability to neutralize concentrated PFAS waste from industrial filters addresses a major bottleneck in current remediation strategies, though the long-term deployment of these reactors in municipal or industrial settings remains the primary objective for the research team.