Nature Communications · 1 October 2026 · From issue 45
Nationwide sustainability assessment of PFAS treatment in U.S. water utilities
Ion exchange filtering causes less climate harm than carbon filtering, but short-chain PFAS removal costs more either way.
Md. Moshiur Rahman Tushar, Zaki Alam Pushan et al.
Water utilities across the country face new rules to remove harmful chemicals called PFAS from drinking water. One cleanup method, called ion exchange, causes less climate harm than the other common method, called carbon filtering. But removing short versions of these chemicals costs more no matter which method is used. Small and rural water systems carry a bigger burden than large city systems.
This reflects a nationwide comparison of two common PFAS filtering methods, not one specific utility's costs.
Nationwide model analysis, no specific cost or sample figures given.
Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 2 October 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Communications). Read the source
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