Latest news with #grapheneoxide
CBS News
2 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Northwestern University scientists develop possible replacement for PFAS, common "forever chemicals"
They're in cookware, cosmetic products, clothing, tap water, and even detectable in human bodies – PFAS, a group of synthetic chemicals. PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they resist breaking down and can stay in the body for prolonged periods of time. However, a new nontoxic material developed by Northwestern University scientists could replace these harmful chemicals in paper-based food and beverage packaging. Professor of Chemistry SonBinh Nguyen and Professor of Engineering Tim Wei have developed a graphene oxide solution that is water- and oil-resistant, more compostable, and recyclable than the current average paper plate or take-out cup. The patient-pending product is being commercialized by Go-Eco, a subsidiary of Chang Robotics, where Wei is chief scientist, and a resident startup at Northwestern's Querrey InQbation Lab. Twenty years into Nguyen's research on graphene oxide, Wei came to Northwestern to give a talk about the engineering of food manufacturing before he had worked there. They remained in touch and formed a partnership over the last decade. The team has successfully tested the material on cardboard boxes, plastic produce bags, plates, cups, and straws. What are PFAS? PFAS stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals resist grease, oil, water, and heat. According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, PFAS do not degrade easily in the environment because their molecules have one of the strongest bonds. Because of this, PFAS break down slowly, if at all. If you grabbed a cup of coffee at your local convenience store not so terribly long ago, that cup would have contained PFAS. "Even 10 years ago, if you remember a paper cup, the outside of the cup was paper, but the inside had this sort of plasticky coating to it, and so that literally would be like a plastic, or it could be a PFAS, and that was essential to make sure your cup of coffee didn't disintegrate in your hand while you're still trying to drink it," explained Wei. A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found PFAS in the blood of 97% of Americans. There are over 15,000 types of PFAS, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Although not all of them are in use, many are hard to detect. The EPA says it will require public water systems to monitor the level of 6 PFAS by 2027. PFAS arealso detected in food, soil and air, in addition to the consumer Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says that PFAS can last thousands of years. How the graphene oxide material works Graphite — a naturally occurring crystalline form of carbon — is a common everyday substance best known as pencil "lead" (actual lead was never used in pencils despite the name). Graphene is a single, two-dimensional layer of graphite — simply a sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice structure. Nguyen called it "hexagonal chicken wire." Graphene oxide is synthesized when graphene is exposed to oxygen. This process causes the substance to form functional groups — that is, structures that are responsible for reactions. Importantly, graphene oxide with its functional groups is water soluble, while pure graphene is a solid and is not soluble in anything. "So it becomes a solution that we can use to spray, to coat, to integrate it with paper making," explained Nguyen. Specifically, an oxygen function group in the graphene oxide binds onto the fiber of the paper and changes its properties — making it hydrophobic, or resistant to water. Graphene oxide also makes paper more resistant to oil, and reduces the amount of water vapor and gases that make contact with the paper, Wei explained. In other words, graphene creates a barrier when applied to paper. Studies also showed that graphene increases the strength of the substance to which it is applied. In Nguyen's early research, adding graphene oxide to a synthetic polymer, or plastic, dramatically increases its Young's modulus — a measurement of how strong a material is under compression or tension. Graphene oxide also increases the polymer's tensile strength — essentially, the force required to pull it apart. When graphene oxide is used on paper, such as a to-go cup, data likewise document a 30% to 40% increase in strength, Wei said. Better for the environment and health Graphene oxide is safer than PFAS because it is derived from carbon, according to Nguyen. "It resembles a carbohydrate," he said. "Graphene oxide will degrade in the environment the same way wood does biologically." Because graphene oxide is also water soluble, the theory is that it would not stick or stay inside the body the same way microplastics and PFAS do. The team said they are not yet at the step of getting FDA approval and will test this and verify their theories. "This material would be a lot safer for the environment, and a consumer could know that their disposable cup of coffee can safely go in the dumpster or to the compost without spreading harmful chemicals," Nguyen said. Graphene oxide has been shown to be able to filter out heavy metals from tap water, according to research done at MIT in 2021. Northwestern estimates that the U.S. produces approximately 14 million metric tons of paper-based food packaging and corrugated cardboard every year, many of which are coated with PFAS. Next steps "The problem is PFAS work really well and are really inexpensive, but as we learn as a society, that those are really problematic materials, they have to be removed," Wei said. Nguyen said the scientists are trying to "solve a little bit at a time," while pushing ahead in search of an even better alternative. Their long-term goal is to create a paper-based material that replaces plastic for food packaging for produce and meat, paper bags and tableware. The team received funding from a major national tableware manufacturer and is in talks with several companies to try pilot testing. "We work on this to make an impact on our future, our children, grandchildren, and for the whole earth," Nguyen said.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Scientists Find A Market Ready Replacement For PFAS
A new substitute for forever chemicals is non-toxic material is water- and oil-resistant, ... More sustainable and affordable. It's one of those quiet realities of modern life: we unwrap our sandwich or sip from a paper cup, unaware that the packaging protecting our food might be leaching harmful chemicals. For decades, food packaging has relied on PFAS — a family of so-called 'forever chemicals' — to keep oil and water from soaking through paper products. But as we now know, PFAS don't stay neatly in the packaging. They linger in our environment, our water, and even our bloodstreams, with growing links to serious health risks. On Tuesday, scientists at Northwestern University announced what they hope will be a safe replacement for forever chemicals. They've developed a new material derived from graphene oxide, which they believe may offer the first truly safe, sustainable, and effective alternative to PFAS in food packaging. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are synthetic chemicals used to repel oil and water. First used in the 1930s and 40s with the invention of teflon, they are now everywhere: in fast food wrappers, takeout boxes, candy wrappers, sandwhich bags and even compostable-looking plates. Quite simply, PFAS are highly effective and to date industry has not been able to find a substitute. These forever chemicals can and do migrate into our food, even when kept at cold temperatures. And they don't break down in the environment or the human body. In fact, they may accumulate in vulnerable tissues like the brain, where scientists have found PFAS have neurotoxic effects. (Brown-Leung 2022) They've been linked to hormone disruption, immune system effects, and even certain cancers. According to a 2022 report from the National Academies of Science Engineering and Medicine, biomonitoring surveys have found that over 98% of Americans have detectable amounts of forever chemicals in their blood and tissues. Meanwhile, parents and pediatricians like myself, find forever chemicals a constant source of worry. How are we supposed to protect our children when they are closer to the floor, being exposed to PFAS loaded stain resistant carpets and house dust? Children are at greater risk to negative effects from forever chemicals because they are smaller, spend more time close to the floor and have differences in food and water intake from adults. Most importantly, they are growing and developing, which means they are being exposed at a vulnerable time and have a lot more years to develop problems. The NASEM report found an association between chronic PFAS exposure in children and multiple health concerns. These included slightly lowered weight at birth, elevated blood cholesterol levels, and reduced antibody response to certain vaccines/infections. In another study, maternal exposure to forever chemicals was associated with child neurodevelopmental difficulties. (England-Mason 2024) PFAS exposures in early life can act as endocrine-disruptors, effecting thyroid, steroid hormones and even testerone and estrogen levels. (Ames 2025) That's where graphene oxide comes in. In a collaboration led by Timothy Wei, adjunct professor of mechanical engineering, and SonBinh Nguyen, professor of chemistry, the Northwestern team created a coating made from oxidized carbon sheets just one atom thick. The result? A material that the study authors consider: Better still, it doesn't just work in the lab. Their startup, GO-Eco, has moved the material through third-party testing at Western Michigan University, and is now preparing for full-scale production with a national tableware manufacturer. It's not just innovation — it's a market-ready solution. One of the problems with adding new chemicals to food packaging is that we don't know what we don't know. While the researchers behind this breakthrough may consider their product non toxic, its worth noting that the people who discovered the forever chemicals thought the same thing. Indeed, graphene oxide is already used in biomedicine and cosmetics, yet it is known to have a potential toxic effect on living cells and organs. Graphene oxide can be toxic, or minimally toxic, or potentially non toxic depending on what chemical form it is in and what dose the body is exposed to. (Rhazouani 2021) It's clear we need more testing, especially in children, of this exciting new material. As a mother and a pediatrician, I really hope this new material is the breakthrough we've been waiting for. And I am struck by the way it reflects a quiet revolution in how we think about safety. Because this isn't just about takeout containers and plastic forks. It's about reimagining how we live — and refusing to accept that the price of convenience should be hidden toxins and long-term risk. GO-Eco's material may never make headlines the way PFAS bans have. But if they succeed, it could mean a world where parents don't need to wonder what's in the sippy cup their toddler is chewing. A world where sustainability doesn't mean sacrificing quality. A world where science earns trust by solving the problems it once helped create. As the graphene oxide project moves forward — seeking FDA approval and expanding production — I'm reminded of what progress really looks like. Not a single heroic cure, but a steady, evidence-based shift toward something safer, smarter, and more human. Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs start with something as small as taking PFAS our of a child's candy wrapper.
