More startups enter race to address impacts of AI’s ‘forever chemicals’: Startups are working to address the negative impacts of Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a type of ‘forever chemicals’ necessary for semiconductors’ production, Bloomberg reported last week.

Why it matters: Microchips’ sales surged over 19% to USD 628 bn last year, Bloomberg reported, citing the Semiconductor Industry Association’s data. The demand is set to double by 2030, making the need for scalable solutions more critical. PFAS substances are also essential for clean energy tech products — which lack end-of-life disposal standards for their waste and mainly end up in municipal dumps.

What’s the danger? PFAS takes centuries or even thousands of years to break down and is linked to significant health problems, including developmental disorders, heart disease, infertility, and cancer. Their reach goes beyond microchips to also include everyday items, such as non-stick pans, paint, and fabrics. They are also essential for clean energy tech products — which lack end-of-life disposal standards for their waste and mainly end up in municipal dumps. The production of these substances is also greenhouse gas-intensive.

Enter Oxyle: Switzerland-based Oxyle AG uses a modular system to treat water that works by generating bubbles that latch onto PFAS molecules to break them down into harmless mineral constituents without any toxic byproducts. The process can remove more PFAS than conventional processes, with a 99% elimination rate.

There is more: Boston-based startup Gradiant has also launched a treatment technology that it claims permanently removes and destroys PFAS, with several demonstration projects including in microchip production, Bloomberg reported. Earlier in February 2024, a team of researchers from the Chicago-based Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory announced the development of tech that uses high-energy electron beams to break down forever chemicals in water, including two PFAS compounds.

But why isn’t the microchip industry doing anything about it? The chemicals are crucial to the semiconductors industry, making a transition away from their use difficult due to “a lack of proven substitutes,” Bloomberg reported, citing the semiconductor industry association SEMI. In contrast, some sectors have tapped into possible alternatives, such as the apparel industry.

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