Read the full article by Shajaka Shelton (WLNS)
“LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A team of researchers at Michigan State University have found that locusts can distinguish PFAS by smell, a discovery that could potentially be used to develop improved PFAS monitoring equipment.
PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and refers to a category of ‘forever chemicals’ used in manufacturing items such as nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics and firefighting foam that break down very slowly over time.
Because of this persistence, the Environmental Protection Agency says they have not only been found in water, air and soil across the world — they have also been found in the blood of people and animals. Researchers say it’s difficult to monitor PFAS contamination, with engineers still struggling to develop chemical sensors that rival that of living organisms.
‘PFAS are extremely difficult to detect,’ said Debajit Saha, an associate professor in MSU’s College of Engineering and Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering. ‘There is a tremendous need for technologies that can identify them at very low concentrations.'”…