You may have heard of the term forever chemicals — or PFAS.
They're microscopic materials that have been linked to some health defects, and they typically come from household appliances like nonstick cookware.
Researchers from the University of Florida have found a more effective way to take them out. They call this new technique the "molecular velcro." Here's how it works.
This gel-based material uses electrical charges that trap PFOA, the most widely found version of PFAS.
Joshua Moon is a chemical engineer at UF and led the study.
"Also it can be reversed too. So just like with, like, an adhesive tape that you want to remove, then you can go and use different ways to basically pull the PFAS back out when you want it to get out of the sponge, like if you want to be able to reuse the sponge," Moon explained.
He said that typical PFAS filters use fluorinated materials, and if they leach out, can be harmful to the environment. This new method doesn't have that side effect.
Moon says he hopes this "molecular velcro" technique can be applied anywhere from at-home water filters to large-scale wastewater projects.