Site icon The PFAS Project Lab

University of Chicago researchers develop new and highly sensitive test for PFAS, or “forever chemicals”

Photo Credit: John Zich / Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering - "Forever chemicals" are notoriously difficult to detect, but a collaboration between the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and Argonne National Laboratory has yielded a novel detection method. The method, which they plan to share via a portable, handheld device, uses unique probes to quantify levels of PFAS "forever chemicals," some of which are toxic to humans.

Read the full article by Adam Harrington (CBS News)

“Synthetic PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals,’ lingering in water, cookware, cosmetic products, clothing, and even our blood as they resist breaking down. They’re infamous for being hard to detect.

But researchers from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory have devised a new method to detect minuscule levels of the synthetic compounds in water. The method involves a portable, handheld device, UChicago said.

PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The chemicals resist grease, oil, water, and heat, and have been linked to cancers, thyroid problems, and weakening of the immune system.” …

Exit mobile version