MIT engineers have created an eco-friendly filtration material made from silk and cellulose that can remove harmful "forever chemicals" and heavy metals from water, offering a potential solution to growing contamination concerns.
Matt Fortin reports for NBC Boston.
In short:
- The new material, made from silk and cellulose, filters out PFAS and heavy metals, which pose significant health risks.
- The filtration system uses renewable, biodegradable materials, designed to mimic natural processes, and has antimicrobial properties.
- Researchers are working to scale production of this technology for home and industrial water treatment.
Key quote:
"Considering that the performance we achieved is already very promising, I think the pathway forward is to accelerate the nano-fabrication process so that we can meet the demand at scale."
— Benedetto Marelli, MIT civil and environmental engineering professor
Why this matters:
PFAS chemicals are found in many consumer products and persist in the environment, accumulating in human and animal bodies. Effective filtration is critical to reducing exposure and mitigating long-term health risks like cancer and liver issues.
