The story of per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAS) begins with something that is not rare in science, but requires a skilled and careful eye. Namely, working on the synthesis of new compounds in the 40s of the last century, the company’s chemists DuPont they didn’t get what they planned, but they noticed that certain compounds showed repulsion to both water and oil. Humanity has received a new commercial name patent Teflon. A compound that nature had not synthesized until then, and not even later. Over the years, thousands of these compounds have found application in numerous industries, for the impregnation of rain-resistant jackets and shoes, as an additive to fire-fighting foams, coatings on the inside of fresh food packaging, in cosmetics, medicine, the automotive industry, and telecommunications devices.
Harmful effects
However, PFAS contain one of the strongest covalent bonds in nature (carbon-fluorine), which makes them extremely resistant to biodegradation and their removal from the environment is a big challenge.
At the end of the last century, scientists determined the presence of PFAS compounds in water, plants, food, blood and breast milk. Pandora’s box has been opened and in recent years they have been found in water, soil and numerous organisms. Their presence near the factories that produced them is not surprising, but PFASs have also been detected in very remote areas, such as the Arctic and Antarctica. Also, some research indicates that exposure to PFAS compounds is associated with adverse health effects, including reduced immune system response, elevated cholesterol, thyroid hormone disruption, reduced birth weight, and more.
Due to all of the above, the use of these compounds is increasingly restricted and maximum permitted concentrations in food and water are prescribed. PFAS compounds are a global challenge, and a Hollywood film also talks about their topicality Dark Watersin which the struggle of the still active lawyer Robert Bilot with the company is screened DuPont.
Bearing in mind the great concern about this environmental challenge, a group of scientists from Serbia gathered to develop innovative strategies to solve the problem of the presence of PFAS compounds in the environment. The project team PhytoPFASfinanced by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, is multidisciplinary and consists of fifteen researchers from the fields of chemical, biochemical and physical chemical sciences from four scientific and educational institutions of the University of Belgrade: Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy (IHTM), Faculty of Physical Chemistry and Faculty of Medicine.
IN FOCUS:
Use of new technology
The main goal PhytoPFAS of the project, which was financed within the Green Program of cooperation between science and business, is the development of the use of plants (phytoremediation) for cleaning the polluted environment and establishing a good basis for the application of this technology in cooperation with industry. The team PhytoPFAS will investigate the possibility of adoption of PFAS by using different plants in soil and hydroponics.
After selecting the most effective species, the plants will be tested at the pilot level in addition to the laboratory level.
After that, the commercial application of the acquired technology is planned. Phytoremediation will be able to be applied for remediation of existing pollution and prevention of new ones. The main benefit will be the wider population and industry, because the application of phytoremediation will contribute to a cleaner and healthier environment, but also to a more efficient use of natural resources and a reduction in the amount of waste.
Researchers from Faculty of Chemistry and Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy At the same time, the University of Belgrade coordinates another important project related to PFAS compounds, PFAStwin, which it finances European Research Executive Agencywithin which Serbia’s capacities for analysis and bioremediation of PFAS compounds are already being strengthened.
PhytoPFAS project team
The text was published in To the magazine of the Energy Portal, ENERGY TRANSITION
Source: energetskiportal.rs
