Harmful and persistent “forever chemicals” build up in the environment and in the bodies of animals — including humans. But a new review article lays out a blueprint for replacing those chemicals in certain situations.
A research team has compiled more than a decade’s worth of work from multiple labs to detail chemical principles of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS. PFAS show up in products as varied as firefighting foams, nonstick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics. While none of the proposed substitutes outperform existing PFAS yet, the best alternatives are approaching the same performance in certain water-repelling applications, scientists report in the July 15 Journal of Colloid