Here’s a summary of some of the interesting stories to be found in the chemical world this week:
+ A new tool has been developed in the arsenal of clean water preservation. Scientists out of the University of California, Riverside have developed a novel method to remove two dangerous “forever chemicals” that are too often found in the water supply; perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl or PFAS, chemicals with links to liver cancer. PFAS were used for decades as non-stick and waterproofing agents with a wide range of applications from firefighting foam to cosmetics.
The method of removal starts with bathing the contaminated water with H2 gas and then blasting the now prepared water with UV light to eliminate the harmful chemicals, resulting in 97% breakdown within 45 minutes.
The advantages this process has over previous methods to remove these chemicals is a lower energy requirement and a lack of hazardous byproducts left behind. Scientists say the next steps are the scaling up of this process from lab to industrial, also stating that they are confident they can further increase the efficiency of this method.
As we march towards the future cleaning synthetic contaminants from one of our most precious resources: fresh water, becomes more and more important. Be it “forever chemicals”, oil spills, or microplastics; developments like these will ensure a cleaner future. Link to the Article
+ If your goal is to set down roots with a stable industry this year H₂SO₄ may be a good bet. Per Vantage Market Research, the Sulfuric Acid market is set to grow 24.8% over 7 years; from $13 billion in 2021 to $17.3 billion by 2028.
This growth is prompted by global population growth, advancing urbanization, and rising GDP Per Capita, resulting in a boost in demand for food, requiring an increase in the production of fertilizer of which sulfuric acid is a key ingredient.
Some of the largest US sulfuric acid players include Cornerstone Chemical Company, PVS Chemicals, and DuPont. Link to the Article
+ On a heartwarming note, employees at North Carolina based textile chemical manufacturing company Slurry Chemical Inc. raised money to help pay off the student lunch debt for the local Surry County and Mounty Airy City schools.
Give these people a round of applause and consider what your company and coworkers can do today, this week, or this year; to make the world just a little bit better. Link to the Article