New tool measures how many ‘forever chemicals’ are in our water

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A new tool designed by a team at The College of Wooster measures how many polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAs, are in our water.

PFAs are called “forever chemicals” because they biodegrade very slowly. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says PFAs can build up in people, animals, and the environment over time.

Dr. Paul Edmiston, a chemistry professor at The College of Wooster, says that while PFAs levels in our waterways have gone down, there are still hotspots.

“One of the hotspots that we look at due to PFAs are places where firefighting foams have been used in the past,” said Dr. Edmiston. “They’re often used at airports or other places where there are fuel fires.”

Instead of taking one water sample at one point in time, this device absorbs PFAs over longer periods of time. This helps researchers understand how forever chemicals behave when travelling about our rivers, lakes, and streams.

Dr. Edmiston says this research is important because it studies an issue that knows no bounds.

“The rain falls everywhere, it’s going to affect everyone on the planet,” said Dr. Edmiston.

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