Sustainable Strategies for Removal and Destruction of Forever Chemicals

Dr. Ling Zang, USTAR Professor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering 

September 10, 2025
11:30- 1:00 p.m.
Warnock Engineering Building, Eccles Board Room
72 S Central Campus Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84112

The 2025-26 ARCS Utah Program will begin with a presentation by Dr. Ling Zang.  Dr. Zang is a USTAR professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.  We are extremely lucky ot have him present his work on the development of advanced sorbent materials to detect, capture and destroy per- and polyfluoroalkl substances (PFAS) or "forever chemicals" in our drinking water.

PFAS are are pervasive contaminants in water systems due to their extensive use in industrial and consumer products and can pose particularly severe health risks, especially through drinking water. Some of these health risks include increased cholesterol, liver enzyme changes, decreased vaccine response, and potential impacts on the immune and thyroid systems.  Dr. Zang will describe the work of his team to overcome the challenges of dealing with these "forever chemicals" that threaten our health.  Below are more details about the presentation and Dr. Zang's exceptional career.  

The talk will start at noon, however plan to arrive about 11:30 and socialize with ARCS members, potential members and if schedules permit, our newest ARCS Scholars.  Please plan to bring your lunch or purchase lunch at the Starley Commons Cafe located right across the atrium from the boardroom.  Starley Commons Cafe has a sandwich and salad menu.  This is a great opportunity to introduce friends and colleagues to our ARCS Chapter.  Please register all your guests so we have enough chairs!  If you need parking, add your license plate to the registration form and we will purchase an "A" virtual pass so you can park in any "A" lot.  The closest one is next to the Alumni building across from the Warnock Engineering Building. 

Sustainable Strategies for PFAS Removal and Destruction with Realtime Monitoring 
Ling Zang
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah

 Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often referred to as “forever chemicals,” are pervasive contaminants in water systems due to their extensive use in industrial and consumer products. Among them, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) pose particularly severe health risks, especially through drinking water. Addressing these pollutants remains a significant challenge, largely because of their extreme chemical stability and resistance to conventional treatments that rely on natural degradation, chemical reactions, or thermal decomposition. Adding to the complexity, PFAS are often present at trace levels across diverse water sources, making their detection and treatment monitoring especially difficult. To tackle these challenges, our team at the University of Utah has been developing a series of advanced sorbent materials, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), designed not only to adsorb PFAS but also to be modified as chemical sensors, enabling dual functionality for both capture and real-time detection. Importantly, these sorbents also concentrate trace-level PFAS, facilitating their subsequent treatment using our recently developed destruction methods. These methods operate under mild conditions (without the need for high temperatures, strong bases such as sodium hydroxide, or harsh media like deep UV light), and have demonstrated complete decomposition and defluorination of PFAS like PFOA. Defluorination is a critical step for detoxification and a key indicator of treatment success. Our integrated approach, combining removal, concentration, mild-condition destruction, and realtime monitoring, shows strong potential as a sustainable and scalable solution to the global challenge of PFAS pollution.

Dr. Link Zang

Dr. Ling Zang is a USTAR professor at University of Utah affiliated with the Department of Materials science and Engineering. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Royal Society of Chemistry, was previously an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, NSF CAREER Award winner, and K. C. Wong Foundation Research Fellow. His current research focuses on several areas, including nanoscale imaging and molecular probing, organic semiconductors and nanostructures, metal organic frameworks, porous graphitic carbon materials, and the applications in chemical sensors and nanodevices. These research endeavors aim to address critical problems in the fields of health, environment, and public safety. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Zang also strives to foster the technology transfer and commercialization. His lab has developed over 40 IPs, and more than half of these IPs have already been licensed to industry for development into chemical detectors and other devices. Dr. Zang has previously founded two University startups. Vaporsens, Inc., and Metallosensors, Inc., both based on innovations in sensor technology in his laboratory. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: GNTX).