Researchers led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have collaboratively developed an innovative filter that shows promise in removing harmful PFAS chemicals from drinking water, a significant advancement in battling these persistent contaminants.
A team of international researchers has announced a significant breakthrough in the fight against toxic chemicals in drinking water. Known as “forever chemicals,” per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pose a serious threat to human and animal health due to their resistance to decomposition. A collaborative effort led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has led to the development of a highly effective filter that could revolutionize water purification.
PFAS are widely used in everyday products, such as textiles, firefighting foams and food packaging. Over time, these chemicals leach into the environment, ultimately contaminating water supplies and accumulating in the human body through food and drinking water, leading to serious health issues.
The newly developed filter, which utilizes water-stable metal-organic framework (MOF) compounds made from zirconium carboxylate, was spearheaded by Nebojša Ilić, a research assistant at the TUM Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, and Soumya Mukherjee, who was an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral researcher at the TUM Chair of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry at the time the study was conducted and is now an assistant professor of materials chemistry at the University of Limerick.
The innovative MOF materials feature adaptable pore sizes and high electrostatic charges, which enhance their ability to capture and remove PFAS from water.
“When solving such major challenges, experts from a wide range of disciplines have to work together. You simply can’t get anywhere on your own. I am delighted that this approach has again proved its worth here,” Roland Fischer, a professor and chair of inorganic and organometallic chemistry at TUM, said in a news release, underlining the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration that enabled this remarkable development.
The team’s research demonstrated that by combining these MOFs with polymers, they could significantly improve the filtration capacity. This new method has shown superior performance compared to existing materials like activated carbon and special resins, offering a promising solution for an issue that affects millions worldwide.
“PFAS pose a constant threat to public health. For too long, the negative effects of the chemicals, which, among other things, ensure that rain jackets are waterproof and breathable, have been underestimated. The industry has now started to rethink this, but the legacy of PFAS will continue to affect us for several generations to come,” added Jörg Drewes, a professor and chair of urban water systems engineering at TUM.
Despite the promising results, widespread implementation of this new filter technology in water treatment facilities could still be years away. The team acknowledges that additional research is necessary to adapt the filters for practical use, ensuring they can be produced sustainably and cost-effectively without compromising safety.
Published in the journal Advanced Materials, this breakthrough underscores the critical need for ongoing research and technological innovation to tackle longstanding environmental challenges. The researchers’ timely contribution brings hope for a future where clean, safe drinking water is accessible to all.