Scientists find new way to break down toxic chemicals

Researchers at University of British Columbia announced a breakthrough they hope will shorten the lifespan of the thousands of toxic “forever chemicals” that persist in clothing, household items and the environment. Writing in the journal Chemosphere, researchers say they have developed a new silica-based material that can absorb a wider range of the harmful chemicals, using either electrochemical or photochemical processes to break the carbon-fluorine bond. Researcher Madjid Mohseni said the technology could be used to combat the chemicals, both in drinking water and at industrial sites where high concentrations of the chemicals are released into water supplies.