EurekAlert August 8, 2019
Among the most common flame retardants that hinder combustion and slow the spread of fire, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) is added to manufactured materials, including computer circuit boards and other electrical devices, papers, textiles and plastics. With a variety of health concerns, including cancer and hormone disruption, TBBPA has been widely detected in the environment, as well as in animals and human milk and plasma. It is a persistent global pollutant nontoxic. An international team of researchers (USA – UMass Amherst, China) has developed a process that breaks down TBBPA to harmless carbon dioxide and water. The technique is technically simple and environmentally friendly. The discovery highlights the potential of using a special material, sulfidated nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI), in water treatment systems and in the natural environment to break down not only TBBPA but other organic refractory compounds that are difficult to degrade…read more.
The paper is featured on the cover of Environmental Science & Technology. CREDIT: ES&T