Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a powerful new material that could make it easier and faster to clean up dangerous “forever chemicals” from our water. These chemicals—specifically PFOA—are used in things like nonstick cookware and firefighting foam, and they don’t break down in the environment. That means they can stick around in groundwater and become a real threat to human health.
The new material, developed by Professor Ling Zang and his team, acts like a super sponge—it quickly soaks up nearly all of the PFOA in water, and even better, it glows when it finds it. That glow makes it easier to track how much contamination is present and how effective the cleanup is. It’s also reusable, which helps keep costs down.
The material works even in tough conditions—like when there are other chemicals or salts in the water—and it does the job in just minutes. Researchers hope this breakthrough will lead to safer drinking water and better tools for monitoring pollution. The findings were just published in a peer-reviewed journal and could shape the future of water treatment across the country.
