Portable tests could detect "forever chemicals" in your home's drinking water
We know how important clean water is, but tricky chemicals that get into our water can be hard to detect, posing dangers to our water systems and our health – until now.
Researchers with the University of Chicago have teamed up with Argonne National Labs in Lemont to detect the smallest chemicals in our water in an effort to make it safer and healthier for all.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are better known as "forever chemicals." They're man-made compounds that are found in places like fast food packaging, firefighters' foams and other places. They're long-lasting chemicals and do not naturally degrade, instead accumulating in the environment and our bodies over time, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency issued regulations on them last year.
Until recently, they were somewhat difficult to detect in drinking water, but labs like Argonne are making gains.
"It affects essentially all of us, and it is, in fact, dangerous," Argonne's Seth Darling said. "They're really toxic to humans. They've been linked to cancer, they've been linked to reproductive issues, thyroid problems, all kinds of health issues."
Darling is working alongside Junhong Chen, with UChicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. They're building a first-of-its-kind sensor that can detect PFAS in water.
"The work we are doing here is really important, because now we have a way to be able to measure this PFAS," Chen said. "Almost the only way to measure for PFAS is to take the water sample and send it to a high-end analytical laboratory for the analysis."
Darling says that, because the chemicals are dangerous even at low concentrations, you need a technique that can test for extremely low levels. The sensor they're behind can detect down to what would equate to one grain of sand in an Olympic-sized swimming pool, or 250 parts per quadrillion.
Typically, this level of inspection would require intensive and expensive lab testing. Their goal is to make these tests accessible for anyone to make sure their water is safe, directly from their home.
"What's important here is developing new ways," Darling said, "low-cost, fast ways to determine: Is there PFAS in your water and, if so, how much?"
Other universities in the Chicago area have also delved in to research PFAS. Back in the spring, Northwestern University professor of chemistry SonBinh Nguyen and professor of engineering Tim Wei developed a graphene oxide solution that is water- and oil-resistant and could be a replacement for PFAS in items such as takeout coffee cups.
