Biopolymer Hydrogel Enterosorbents for PFAS and Dye Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and synthetic food dyes from the body are inadequate, as they are not suitable for in vivo removal and are hindered by lobbying and consumerism, posing health risks due to their accumulation.
Innovation Solution
Development of biopolymer-based hydrogels and hydrogel composites that can be orally administered to bind and remove PFAS and synthetic food dyes from the digestive tract without being metabolized or absorbed into systemic circulation, using additives such as activated carbon and biopolymers like agarose.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional methods (anion exchange, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration) are used for PFAS removal, then PFAS can be removed from water sources, but these methods are not suitable for in vivo removal and cannot address systemic accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hydrogel beads as an intermediary substance that can function both in water treatment systems and within the human body. These beads serve as a mediator between the external contamination source and the internal biological system, enabling the same material to address PFAS removal in both environmental and clinical contexts without requiring separate specialized methods for each application.
2Ease of operation
If synthetic food dyes are used for their vibrant coloring properties, then consumer appeal and hunger induction are improved, but adverse health effects including carcinogenicity, allergenic reactions, and developmental-behavioral issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful synthetic dyes already present in the body into a removable target by using hydrogel beads that specifically bind to these dye molecules. The same vibrant coloring property that made the dyes appealing to consumers now becomes a detectable and removable characteristic through the selective binding capability of the hydrogel enterosorbent, transforming a health hazard into a treatable condition.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If outright bans and removal of PFAS and synthetic food dyes from mass consumption are implemented, then health impacts can be prevented, but lobbying, consumerism, and substantial prevalence in consumables create significant barriers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing a remediation solution that addresses PFAS and synthetic dye accumulation after exposure has already occurred. Rather than attempting the difficult task of preventing exposure through bans and regulation, the hydrogel beads are administered to actively remove accumulated contaminants from the body, bypassing the political and social barriers to implementation while still achieving the health protection goal.
4Reliability
If enterosorption is used to remove contaminants from the digestive tract, then harmful molecules can be bound and excreted unchanged, but the method needs to be adapted for specific targets like PFAS and synthetic dyes which have not been previously addressed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing hydrogel beads with functional groups that can bind to multiple different contaminant types including PFAS, synthetic food dyes, and other organic molecules. The hydrogel matrix provides a versatile platform that maintains structural integrity while allowing different binding mechanisms to operate simultaneously, enabling a single enterosorbent product to address multiple previously unaddressed contaminant classes through one administration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The biopolymer-based hydrogels effectively remove PFAS and synthetic food dyes from the digestive tract, providing a viable in vivo solution for mitigating health impacts by excreting these contaminants unchanged.
Implementation Method 1
enterosorption is defined as an oral adsorbent that is used to bind and remove contaminants from the digestive tract
Implementation Method 2
Biopolymer-based hydrogels and method for enterosorptive removal of target molecules
Data Source
AI summary
A method for enterosorptive removal of a target molecule from a digestive tract of an individual, includes orally administering a biopolymer-based hydrogel adapted to bind and remove the target molecule from the digestive track without being metabolized or absorbed into systemic circulation. The biopolymer-based hydrogel may be an biopolymer-based hydrogel composite and the method further includes incorporating an additive into the biopolymer-based hydrogel selected from a list of additives consisting of a hydrophobic particulate, a hydrophobic polymer, an ionic particulate, a biological polymer, an ionic polymer, a cationic particulate, a cationic polymer, an anionic particulate, an anionic polymer, a Zwitterionic polymer, a Zwitterionic particulate, a protein, a carbohydrate, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), ribonucleic acid (RNA), and combinations thereof.