PFAS – the “Forever Chemicals”: Past, Present and Future
By Dr. Selma Mededovic Thagard
Richard and Helen March Endowed Professor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Clarkson University
3:00 pm March 2, 2022
212 Snell Hall or Join Zoom Meeting:
https://clarkson.zoom.us/j/98906832072?pwd=cW1xV1ZsbU9hc29sbEx6QmJjekJBdz09
Abstract:
Some consumer products are stain-resistant, non-stick, waterproof and lethal. They contain PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), also known as the Forever Chemicals. PFAS are a large chemical family of over 9,000 highly persistent chemicals that don’t occur in nature. The widespread use of PFAS, complicated with their environmental release, mobility, fate and transport has resulted in multiple exposure routes for humans. Numerous studies have found significant associations between PFAS exposure and negative immune and metabolic outcomes.
PFAS are notoriously difficult to remediate using traditional treatment methods due to the strong carbon-fluorine bonds comprising these compounds. However, several emerging technologies including the electrical discharge plasma technique developed by Clarkson researchers have shown significant promise in destroying PFAS. This talk provides a history of the PFAS problem, discusses its regulatory landscape and manufacturing status, and introduces state-of-the-art remediation technologies for the treatment of these compounds with a focus on electrical discharge plasma.
Biography:
Selma Mededovic Thagard is a renowned expert in electrical discharge plasma processes with a focus on theoretical and experimental investigations of fundamental plasma chemistry in single and multiphase plasma environments. Thagard’s significant contributions to her discipline include well over 100 publications, conference presentations, and invited lectures. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Defense, Global Foundries, Semiconductor Research Corporation, NY Pollution Prevention Institute, Environmental Research & Education Foundation, and United States Air Force. She also founded a start-up company – DMax Plasma. Thagard received her bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Zagreb in Croatia and her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Florida State University. Before coming to Clarkson, she held post-doctoral appointments at Toyohashi University of Technology in Japan and at Colorado State University.
*The ISE Clarkson Keynote Lecture Series celebrates the achievements of the Clarkson faculty. Clarkson faculty are invited to deliver keynote and plenary lectures at conferences across the world. The ISE Clarkson Keynote Lecture Series honorees deliver these lectures to us at home, with modifications for a broader audience.