Researchers at Clarkson University have reported a breakthrough in tackling per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of widely used “forever chemicals” that are difficult to remove from water and have raised growing environmental and public health concerns. The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Associate Professor Yang Yang and his team in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. It presents a new method for breaking down PFAS that could improve the treatment of contaminated water in real-world conditions.