{"id":35943,"date":"2023-01-19T13:25:27","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T14:25:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/?p=35943"},"modified":"2023-01-19T14:35:44","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T14:35:44","slug":"magnets-key-to-removing-dangerous-pfas-chemicals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/2023\/01\/19\/magnets-key-to-removing-dangerous-pfas-chemicals\/","title":{"rendered":"Magnets key to removing dangerous PFAS chemicals"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"_16lwx _2-5AL\">\n<div class=\"_2JwnJ\">\n<div class=\"JwYux\">\n<div class=\"_2YAR2 _1dnWn\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<section class=\"_3OhA4\">\n<div class=\"_2CSKo noPrint\">\n<div class=\"_1KqZ_\">\n<div class=\"_2Cn91\">\n<div class=\"_2KkCz\"><button class=\"_30X7v _2-NUy\" data-ffx-event-action=\"cta click\" data-ffx-event-category=\"component\" data-ffx-event-label=\"font size normal\" data-ffx-event-value=\"0\" data-ffx-hittype=\"event\">Normal text size<\/button><button class=\"_3Rq_0\" data-ffx-event-action=\"cta click\" data-ffx-event-category=\"component\" data-ffx-event-label=\"font size large\" data-ffx-event-value=\"0\" data-ffx-hittype=\"event\">Larger text size<\/button><button class=\"_3VkdU\" data-ffx-event-action=\"cta click\" data-ffx-event-category=\"component\" data-ffx-event-label=\"font size extra large\" data-ffx-event-value=\"0\" data-ffx-hittype=\"event\">Very large text size<\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"_1Rw6X\" data-testid=\"article-body-top\">\n<div class=\"_1ysFk\" data-testid=\"article-body\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"_1665V _2q-Vk\" data-testid=\"body-content\">\n<p>Queensland researchers have developed a way to quickly and simply remove dangerous PFAS chemicals from water using magnets.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers from the University of Queensland have developed a method that does not require electricity or bulky lab equipment.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_3ujPS _3x3-4 RMwbY _2XZQH\" data-testid=\"image\">\n<div aria-label=\"enlarge image\" class=\"_1lwW_\" role=\"button\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"UQ&nbsp;polymer chemist Dr Cheng Zhang and PhD candidate Xiao Tan (pictured) have developed a way to remove PFAS from water using magnets\" src=\"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/a1064271855c47c53458df96f4c30e74690363b4\" height=\"390\" width=\"584\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"_3CZmy\">\n<p><span class=\"_2Li3P\">UQ&nbsp;polymer chemist Dr Cheng Zhang and PhD candidate Xiao Tan (pictured) have developed a way to remove PFAS from water using magnets<\/span><cite class=\"ojLwA\"><span class=\"_30ROC\">Credit:<\/span>University of Queensland<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>PFAS (perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) had been used extensively since the 1950s in a variety of forms, including in firefighting foam used at airports as well as in consumer products such as non-stick frying pans.<\/p>\n<p>They are now believed to cause cancers and other illnesses, and are known as a \u201cforever chemical\u201d due to their tendency to remain in the environment without breaking down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1665V _2q-Vk\" data-testid=\"body-content\">\n<p>While they are no longer used, methods to remove them from local environments have been needed, especially where drinking water supplies have been contaminated.<\/p>\n<p>Polymer chemist Dr Cheng Zhang and PhD candidate Xiao Tan at UQ\u2019s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology have spearheaded a way to quickly and easily remove the PFAS from water.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"_3ujPS _3CeoW _2XZQH\" data-testid=\"image\">\n<div aria-label=\"enlarge image\" class=\"_1lwW_\" role=\"button\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The method is quicker and easier than existing decontamination methods which can take over a day to remove PFAS.\" src=\"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/ff2fb64b214ce67fffb76d07ba2f49e1541ba6f5\" \/><\/div><figcaption class=\"_3CZmy\">\n<p><span class=\"_2Li3P\">The method is quicker and easier than existing decontamination methods which can take over a day to remove PFAS.<\/span><cite class=\"ojLwA\"><span class=\"_30ROC\">Credit:<\/span>University of Queensland<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They use what is called a magnetic fluorinated polymer sorbent, which binds to the PFAS in the water.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause it has a magnetic element, we then simply remove the sorbent, and the PFAS along with it, using a simple magnet,\u201d Zhang said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"_1FVfK\">\n<div class=\"adWrapper _2UMq- noPrint\" data-testid=\"ad\"><small class=\"_3ToRr\">Advertisement<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"vPaWe\" data-testid=\"article-body-bottom\">\n<div class=\"_1ysFk\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"_1665V _2q-Vk\" data-testid=\"body-content\">\n<p>The process is quicker than 30 seconds and removes over 95 per cent of the PFAS in the water sample.<\/p>\n<p>Current methods for removing PFAS from water involve carbon filters and while they are also above 90 per cent effective, they can take up to 30 hours to remove the contamination and require bulky equipment, Zhang said.<\/p>\n<p>The UQ developed method is also reusable up to 10 times.<\/p>\n<p>Zhang said they were now working on scaling up the process from lab-based work to something that could be used in individual homes and on larger scales.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1665V _2q-Vk\" data-testid=\"body-content\">\n<p>\u201cWe hope to have a commercially available product ready in the next three years,\u201d he said. \u201cSomething you could buy from a supermarket in the same way that a lot of other water filtration products are available.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The research received funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, The Chemours Company and the US Department of Defense.<\/p>\n<p>Serious PFAS contamination has been recorded at a number of locations around Australia, including near defence bases at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brisbanetimes.com.au\/national\/queensland\/queensland-town-in-defence-water-contamination-scare-20150930-gjyjht.html\">Oakey<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/link\/follow-20170101-p50hv2\">Amberley<\/a> in Queensland and Darwin and Katherine in the Northern Territory.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/link\/follow-20170101-p5185q\">A number of lawsuits have been launched over the contamination<\/a>, and the government is finalising <a href=\"https:\/\/haveyoursay.agriculture.gov.au\/nemp-on-pfas\">a National Environmental Management Plan for PFAS<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The UQ research has been published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full\/10.1002\/anie.202213071\"><i>Angewandte Chemie<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_22FRK _2spQv\">\n<section class=\"aKWhn noPrint\" id=\"endOfArticle\"><\/section>\n<div class=\"noPrint\">\n<section class=\"_2zaYr n422E\">\n<header class=\"_2qhpu\">\n<h2 class=\"_2qhpu\">Most Viewed in National<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size Queensland researchers have developed a way to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35945,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35943"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35943"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35943\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35950,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35943\/revisions\/35950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peymantaeidi.net\/stem-cell\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}