"Eternal chemicals" have been eliminated using light.

"The term 'forever chemicals' refers to around 14,000 fluorinated organic compounds. They contaminate the environment and, as they accumulate, negatively impact human health, leading to hormonal imbalances, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and increasing the risk of certain types of cancer."

PFAS are widely used, for example, in the production of Teflon, which is primarily utilized in electronics and, to a lesser extent, in cookware. According to a recent study, the level of 'forever chemicals' has exceeded dangerous levels in 15,000 locations around the globe.

Researchers from the China University of Science and Technology and Nanjing Tech University (both in China) employed a light-activated catalyst to break the carbon-fluorine bonds that confer stability to 'forever chemicals.' The journal Nature published a description of this new method, which is less costly compared to existing ones.

The catalyst used absorbed light and harnessed energy to decompose PFAS into salts. According to the findings of the study's authors, this process facilitated further recycling. Reactions that break down the robust carbon-fluorine bonds can occur at relatively low temperatures, ranging from 40°C to 60°C.

According to the scientists, the discovered approach can be considered a fundamental breakthrough in organic synthesis. It is more environmentally friendly than known methods, yet remains effective and can be used, among other applications, to eliminate 'forever chemicals' from plastics.

"We need to make this technology more practical so that it can be used in water or soil—areas where PFAS have been detected. It is important that the chemistry we demonstrate is beneficial even in these conditions," the authors of the article concluded.