UBC

New UBC water treatment zaps ‘forever chemicals’ for good

New UBC water treatment zaps ‘forever chemicals’ for good

Engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new water treatment that removes “forever chemicals” from drinking water safely, efficiently – and for good. “Think Brita filter, but a thousand times better,” says UBC chemical and biological engineering professor Dr. Madjid Mohseni, who developed the technology. Forever chemicals, formally known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of substances that make certain products non-stick or stain-resistant. There are more than 4,700 PFAS in use, mostly in raingear, non-stick cookware, stain repellents and firefighting foam. Research links these chemicals to a wide range of health problems including hormonal disruption, cardiovascular disease, developmental delays and cancer.

The Lhoosk’uz Dené village near Quesnel celebrates clean drinking water

The Lhoosk’uz Dené village near Quesnel celebrates clean drinking water

The Lhoosk’uz Dené village, located 200 kilometres west of Quesnel on Kluskus Lake, now has clean drinking water — for the first time in 20 years. The remote village of about 50 people has relied on bottled water to supply their household and everyday needs. “We’re so off-grid that many people don’t even know where we are. Even the nearest hospital is three hours away,” says Chief Liliane Squinas in a July 13 statement from the University of British Columbia (UBC). In 2008, the community received its first road access — a single logging road. “The community had no road access prior,” says Madjid Mohseni, a UBC professorin chemical and biological engineering.