Two Northeastern University chemical engineering students have helped develop a new method of removing potentially harmful PFAS — known as “forever chemicals”— from drinking water, a discovery that could have major implications in providing clean water for thousands of communities throughout the United States and the world.
The discovery was made while the two were chemical engineering co-ops at Practical Applications Inc., a wastewater treatment facility in Woburn, Massachusetts. They were working on the method with Practical Applications CEO Gary Brober, a Northeastern graduate. Graham MacDonald and Hannah Giusti, third-year students at Northeastern, say the process is more cost effective and less energy intensive than conventional treatments used today.