PFAS, also known as the forever chemicals, are a group of highly fluorinated substances that give products grease, dirt and water-repellent characteristics.
We can neither taste, smell nor see these substances, yet we come into contact with them almost every day.
In addition to their GDW repellent properties, they have a significantly darker side. In addition to being non-degradable when released into the environment, these chemicals are also “bioaccumulative”, meaning that they accumulate in living organisms. The concentration of these substances increases as they move higher up the food chain, which makes the chemicals “biomagnifying”.
The substances can also have endocrine-disrupting effects on both animals and humans. These effects hinder the development of the brain, metabolism and reproduction. Foetuses and children are considered to be particularly vulnerable as they are highly sensitive during their development. According to the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), these chemicals can also be carcinogenic.
People are partially exposed via drinking water, but exposure can also occur when we use everyday products that contain PFAS. To get rid of these substances, it’s important that we remove PFAS from circulation.
For my degree project, I have developed a PFAS absorbent named Maya.
Maya is a water trap and PFAS absorbent that is placed under the sink in the bathroom. In my opinion, it is not enough to just purify the water that comes out of the tap as we continue to release the chemicals when we use products with PFAS. Therefore, I have chosen to place Maya under the sink. There, the absorbent capsules can capture both PFAS that are already in our drinking water and those that are released through our daily use. With this method, PFAS can be extracted from their orbit and then sent for incineration.
