PFAS: It is possible to destroy ¡°forever chemicals¡± for good?
May 04, 2026
Ryan Capelle discusses PFAS destructive technologies with Front Matter¡ªand how we can get closer to destroying these contaminants
As communities around the world grapple with the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS),?aka ¡°forever chemicals,¡±?researchers are turning their?attention from removal to permanent destruction. A recent?Front Matter?article published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) takes a closer look at emerging technologies designed to break the strong carbon¨Cfluorine bonds that give PFAS their ¡°forever chemical¡± reputation.
The article?examines?destruction?technologies?under development, while noting the technical, financial, and regulatory barriers to scaling them beyond the lab.?
The?piece?features?Ryan Capelle,?Ãë²¥¡¯s?global PFAS leader,?who discusses the considerations utilities and regulators face when exploring PFAS destruction technologies.?
¡°Destruction,¡± he says, ¡°is the holy grail.¡±
