What are Per- or poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS)?

Per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances, PFAS, are a large group of 9,000+ chemical substances which have a carbon-fluorine bond that is extremely hard to break. Because they persist for a long time, they are widely known as “forever chemicals.”

Breakthrough research published in August 2022 demonstrated that it’s possible to break these strong chemical bonds using viable new methods that require only moderate heat and pressure levels. Although there’s still a long way to go for this process to become commercially viable, it brings hope that that PFASs could be broken back down into chemicals with fewer harmful effects.