Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1038/s43017-025-00755-x |
| Document | Shareable Link |
| Title (Primary) | Air emissions during destruction of PFAS-containing materials |
| Author | Silsby, S.; Sühnholz, S.; Qanbarzadeh, M.; Silsby, N.; Hao, S.; Shields, E.; Jackson, S.; Mills, M.A.; Doudrick, K.; Young, C.; Strathmann, T.J.; Ghosh, R.S.; Willey, J.; Fedick, P.W.; Blotevogel, J.; Knappe, D.R.U.; Higgins, C.P. |
| Source Titel | Nature Reviews Earth & Environment |
| Year | 2026 |
| Department | TECH |
| Language | englisch |
| Topic | T7 Bioeconomy |
| Abstract | Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are synthetic chemicals used across numerous industrial and consumer applications. Their persistence and toxicological impacts necessitate their removal from the environment and their complete destruction; however, many PFAS destruction technologies release gas-phase and aerosol-phase fluorinated products of incomplete destruction (PIDs). In this Review, we discuss the PIDs released by PFAS destruction methods and approaches to categorize and measure them. Existing and emerging technologies use thermal, chemical, electrical or biological approaches to degrade PFASs, with varying degrees of success. Although many technologies achieve destruction and removal efficiencies of more than 99.99%, this metric does not account for the formation of airborne PIDs. Methods are being developed to measure PIDs in air emissions to protect exposed communities and facilitate the closure of fluorine mass balances. The choice of sampling and analytical methods depends on the polarity and volatility of the PIDs. Closing the mass balance is important because PIDs such as CF4 can have unintended global impacts, and potential localized risks from exposure to PIDs remain uncertain. Therefore, diverse analytical methods are needed to comprehensively characterize PIDs; such characterization is important to identify PFAS destruction technologies that minimize atmospheric emissions and their associated environmental and human health risks. |
| Silsby, S., Sühnholz, S., Qanbarzadeh, M., Silsby, N., Hao, S., Shields, E., Jackson, S., Mills, M.A., Doudrick, K., Young, C., Strathmann, T.J., Ghosh, R.S., Willey, J., Fedick, P.W., Blotevogel, J., Knappe, D.R.U., Higgins, C.P. (2026): Air emissions during destruction of PFAS-containing materials Nat. Rev. Earth Environ. 10.1038/s43017-025-00755-x |
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