Water Sector News

TRAVERSE CITY — Michigan regulators say it will take a long time before the state can implement some of the most cutting-edge PFAS disposal methods.

That includes one strategy, developed in August by scientists at Northwestern University, which uses a lye solution to destroy the chemical bonds that make the family of compounds so pernicious.

A collection of the Record-Eagle's continuing coverage of PFAS contamination in northern Michigan: 

Researchers from the Evanston, Ill. university called the discovery “exciting” and a “breakthrough” for the way it requires much lower temperatures than other, similar strategies that have been attempted in the past.

In an interview following the discovery, Anthony Spaniola, co-chair of Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, said, if the method proved effective on a widespread basis, it could be a significant step forward in efforts to remove the chemicals from the environment.