Superfund Research Program

May 2025

Rollie Mills conducting an experiment in the lab

At the Karen Wetterhahn Memorial Award Lecture in March, Rollie Mills, Ph.D., formerly a trainee at the University of Kentucky Superfund Research Center, presented a new alternative to conventional strategies for removing PFAS from water, which can be expensive or unsustainable. Mills developed a specialized membrane coated with a polymer that responds to different temperatures.

“At temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, about the temperature of a hot summer’s day, the membrane can attract and capture PFAS from the water,” explained Mills. “Then, at lower temperatures, the material will repel PFAS and allow us to clean and reuse the filter.”

Mills also used the membrane to filter polychlorinated biphenyls from water, giving him hope that the filter may have applications for other contaminants – like trichloroethylene and volatile organic compounds.

Learn more about the thermos-responsive filter in the NIEHS Environmental Factor.