In Japan, researchers have developed a potentially revolutionary technique for perennial pollutants such as PFAS. The innovation in question does not make it possible to destroy them directly, but to track them down in order to identify their exact origin in the environment. At what level could this method change the game?
Going back to the sources of pollution
First of all, it should be remembered that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are considered « eternal pollutants » because of their tenacity in the environment (and the body). Possessing ultra-strong carbon-fluorine bonds, these PFAS are found in various everyday objects such as Teflon pans, certain packaging, shoes and cosmetics. While the evidence of impacts on human health is weak for a large majority of PFAS, different risks are very often mentioned: decreased immunity, kidney cancer, fetal growth retardation and dyslipidemia.
At the Shibaura Institute of Technology (Japan), a team of researchers is behind a major and potentially revolutionary breakthrough, as evidenced by a publication in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters in March 2026. According to the authors, the solution developed as part of this work will not be used to destroy PFAS. On the other hand, it should make it possible to track them in the environment and identify their exact origin.
In other words, it is a question of going back to the sources of pollution, which was not possible until today. Usually, in the event of the discovery of eternal pollutants in a river or groundwater, identifying the source of the pollution is almost impossible. Indeed, the molecules are diluted, mixed and circulate for kilometers.
Better reading the carbon isotopic signature of PFAS
The Japanese scientists used mass spectrometry – a device called Orbitrap – to measure the carbon isotopic signature of two very common PFAS, namely perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The device made it possible to read the isotopic signature without going through the destructive and complex step of combustion, which was found in the usual method – IRMS spectrometry. The researchers tested the new method on river water samples containing very low concentrations of pollutants. However, Orbitrap has succeeded in precisely identifying the fingerprint of the molecule.
This device therefore facilitates the process while providing highly reliable measurements. On the other hand, it is important to specify that innovation does not solve the problem of the destruction of PFAS. Indeed, the chemical neutralization of these carbon-fluorine bonds – the strongest in organic chemistry – remains to this day an imposing scientific challenge mobilizing a number of scientists around the world.
Towards a sanction of responsible manufacturers?
« PFAS contamination has become a serious environmental problem globally, but identifying their sources remains complex. We were interested in the possibility of using high-resolution mass spectrometry, such as Orbitrap, for stable isotope analysis to address this challenge. « , the study reads.
In the long term, there is potential talk of democratizing this innovation, as part of its use by the authorities. The objective? Trace more easily to the sources of PFAS contamination in rivers, groundwater and drinking water. It should therefore be a question of directly sanctioning the manufacturers responsible for this pollution. From a scientific point of view, the method should also be able to provide a better understanding of the diffusion of PFAS in the environment.
