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Bayode AA, Emmanuel SS, Akinyemi AO, Ore OT, Akpotu SO, Koko DT, Momodu DE, López-Maldonado EA. Innovative techniques for combating a common enemy forever chemicals: A comprehensive approach to mitigating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 261:119719. [PMID: 39098711 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
The pervasive presence of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly referred to as "forever chemicals," in water systems poses a significant threat to both the environment and public health. PFAS are persistent organic pollutants that are incredibly resistant to degradation and have a tendency to accumulate in the environment, resulting in long-term contamination issues. This comprehensive review delves into the primary impacts of PFAS on both the environment and human health while also delving into advanced techniques aimed at addressing these concerns. The focus is on exploring the efficacy, practicality, and sustainability of these methods. The review outlines several key methods, such as advanced oxidation processes, novel materials adsorption, bioremediation, membrane filtration, and in-situ chemical oxidation, and evaluates their effectiveness in addressing PFAS contamination. By conducting a comparative analysis of these techniques, the study aims to provide a thorough understanding of current PFAS remediation technologies, as well as offer insights into integrated approaches for managing these persistent pollutants effectively. While acknowledging the high efficiency of adsorption and membrane filtration in reducing persistent organic pollutants due to their relatively low cost, versatility, and wide applicability, the review suggests that the integration of these methods could result in an overall enhancement of removal performance. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need for researcher attention in key areas and underscores the necessity of collaboration between researchers, industry, and regulatory authorities to address this complex challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajibola A Bayode
- College of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University of Science and Engineering, Zigong, 643000, China; Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, P.M.B. 230, 232101, Ede, Nigeria.
| | - Stephen Sunday Emmanuel
- Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, University of Ilorin, P. M. B. 1515, Ilorin, Nigeria.
| | - Amos O Akinyemi
- Department of Toxicology & Cancer Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
| | - Odunayo T Ore
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Achievers University, P.M.B. 1030, Owo, Nigeria
| | - Samson O Akpotu
- Department of Chemistry, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark, 1900, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Daniel T Koko
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, P.M.B. 230, 232101, Ede, Nigeria
| | - David E Momodu
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Redeemer's University, P.M.B. 230, 232101, Ede, Nigeria
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Cheng Y, Deng B, Scotland P, Eddy L, Hassan A, Wang B, Silva KJ, Li B, Wyss KM, Ucak-Astarlioglu MG, Chen J, Liu Q, Si T, Xu S, Gao X, JeBailey K, Jana D, Torres MA, Wong MS, Yakobson BI, Griggs C, McCary MA, Zhao Y, Tour JM. Electrothermal mineralization of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances for soil remediation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6117. [PMID: 39033169 PMCID: PMC11271446 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49809-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent and bioaccumulative pollutants that can easily accumulate in soil, posing a threat to environment and human health. Current PFAS degradation processes often suffer from low efficiency, high energy and water consumption, or lack of generality. Here, we develop a rapid electrothermal mineralization (REM) process to remediate PFAS-contaminated soil. With environmentally compatible biochar as the conductive additive, the soil temperature increases to >1000 °C within seconds by current pulse input, converting PFAS to calcium fluoride with inherent calcium compounds in soil. This process is applicable for remediating various PFAS contaminants in soil, with high removal efficiencies ( >99%) and mineralization ratios ( >90%). While retaining soil particle size, composition, water infiltration rate, and cation exchange capacity, REM facilitates an increase of exchangeable nutrient supply and arthropod survival in soil, rendering it superior to the time-consuming calcination approach that severely degrades soil properties. REM is scaled up to remediate soil at two kilograms per batch and promising for large-scale, on-site soil remediation. Life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis demonstrate REM as an environmentally friendly and economic process, with a significant reduction of energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission, water consumption, and operation cost, when compared to existing soil remediation practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Cheng
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bing Deng
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
| | - Phelecia Scotland
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Lucas Eddy
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Arman Hassan
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bo Wang
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karla J Silva
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bowen Li
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kevin M Wyss
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Jinhang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Qiming Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tengda Si
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shichen Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiaodong Gao
- Department of Earth, Environmental, & Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Carbon Hub, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Khalil JeBailey
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Debadrita Jana
- Department of Earth, Environmental, & Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mark Albert Torres
- Department of Earth, Environmental, & Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael S Wong
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Boris I Yakobson
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
- Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Yufeng Zhao
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Corban University, Salem, OR, USA.
| | - James M Tour
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- NanoCarbon Center and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Long M, Zheng CW, Roldan MA, Zhou C, Rittmann BE. Co-Removal of Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Nitrate from Water by Coupling Pd Catalysis with Enzymatic Biotransformation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:11514-11524. [PMID: 38757358 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
PFAS (poly- and per-fluorinated alkyl substances) represent a large family of recalcitrant organic compounds that are widely used and pose serious threats to human and ecosystem health. Here, palladium (Pd0)-catalyzed defluorination and microbiological mineralization were combined in a denitrifying H2-based membrane biofilm reactor to remove co-occurring perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and nitrate. The combined process, i.e., Pd-biofilm, enabled continuous removal of ∼4 mmol/L nitrate and ∼1 mg/L PFOA, with 81% defluorination of PFOA. Metagenome analysis identified bacteria likely responsible for biodegradation of partially defluorinated PFOA: Dechloromonas sp. CZR5, Kaistella koreensis, Ochrobacterum anthropic, and Azospira sp. I13. High-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and metagenome analyses revealed that the presence of nitrate promoted microbiological oxidation of partially defluorinated PFOA. Taken together, the results point to PFOA-oxidation pathways that began with PFOA adsorption to Pd0, which enabled catalytic generation of partially or fully defluorinated fatty acids and stepwise oxidation and defluorination by the bacteria. This study documents how combining catalysis and microbiological transformation enables the simultaneous removal of PFOA and nitrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Long
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
| | - Chen-Wei Zheng
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
| | - Manuel A Roldan
- Eyring Materials Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
| | - Chen Zhou
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
- Institute for the Environment and Health, Nanjing University, Suzhou Campus, Suzhou 215163, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Bruce E Rittmann
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, United States
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Battye N, Patch D, Koch I, Monteith R, Roberts D, O'Connor N, Kueper B, Hulley M, Weber K. Mechanochemical degradation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in soil using an industrial-scale horizontal ball mill with comparisons of key operational metrics. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 928:172274. [PMID: 38604365 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Horizontal ball mills (HBMs) have been proven capable of remediating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil. Industrial-sized HBMs, which could easily be transported to impacted locations for on-site, ex-situ remediation, are readily available. This study examined PFAS degradation using an industrial-scale, 267 L cylinder HBM. This is the typical scale used in the industry before field application. Near-complete destruction of 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS), as well as the non-target PFAS in a modern fluorotelomer-based aqueous film forming foam (AFFF), was achieved when spiked onto nepheline syenite sand (NSS) and using potassium hydroxide (KOH) as a co-milling reagent. Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) showed much better and more consistent results with scale-up regardless of KOH. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was examined for the first time using a HBM and behaved similarly to PFOS. Highly challenging field soils from a former firefighting training area (FFTA) were purposefully used to test the limits of the HBM. To quantify the effectiveness, free fluoride analysis was used; changes between unmilled and milled soil were measured up to 7.8 mg/kg, which is the equivalent of 12 mg/kg PFOS. Notably, this does not factor in insoluble fluoride complexes that may form in milled soils, so the actual amount of PFAS destroyed may be higher. Soil health, evaluated through the assessment of key microbial and associated plant health parameters, was not significantly affected as a result of milling, although it was characterized as poor to begin with. Leachability reached 100 % in milled soil with KOH, but already ranged from 81 to 96 % in unmilled soil. A limited assessment of the hazards associated with the inhalation of PFAS-impacted dust from ball-milling, as well as the cross-contamination potential to the environment, showed that the risk was low in both cases; however, precautions should always be taken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Battye
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - David Patch
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Iris Koch
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Dylan Roberts
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Natalia O'Connor
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Bernard Kueper
- Department of Civil Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Hulley
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Kela Weber
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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Bui TH, Zuverza-Mena N, Dimkpa CO, Nason SL, Thomas S, White JC. PFAS remediation in soil: An evaluation of carbon-based materials for contaminant sequestration. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 344:123335. [PMID: 38211874 PMCID: PMC10922530 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The presence of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils is a global concern as these emerging contaminants are highly resistant to degradation and cause adverse effects on human and environmental health at very low concentrations. Sequestering PFAS in soils using carbon-based materials is a low-cost and effective strategy to minimize pollutant bioavailability and exposure, and may offer potential long-term remediation of PFAS in the environment. This paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of current insights on sequestration of PFAS in soil using carbon-based sorbents. Hydrophobic effects originating from fluorinated carbon (C-F) backbone "tail" and electrostatic interactions deriving from functional groups on the molecules' "head" are the two driving forces governing PFAS sorption. Consequently, varying C-F chain lengths and polar functional groups significantly alter PFAS availability and leachability. Furthermore, matrix parameters such as soil organic matter, inorganic minerals, and pH significantly impact PFAS sequestration by sorbent amendments. Materials such as activated carbon, biochar, carbon nanotubes, and their composites are the primary C-based materials used for PFAS adsorption. Importantly, modifying the carbon structural and surface chemistry is essential for increasing the active sorption sites and for strengthening interactions with PFAS. This review evaluates current literature, identifies knowledge gaps in current remediation technologies and addresses future strategies on the sequestration of PFAS in contaminated soil using sustainable novel C-based sorbents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trung Huu Bui
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Nubia Zuverza-Mena
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Christian O Dimkpa
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Sara L Nason
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Sara Thomas
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Jason C White
- The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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6
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Patch D, O'Connor N, Vereecken T, Murphy D, Munoz G, Ross I, Glover C, Scott J, Koch I, Sauvé S, Liu J, Weber K. Advancing PFAS characterization: Enhancing the total oxidizable precursor assay with improved sample processing and UV activation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168145. [PMID: 37952659 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) encompass over 9000 chemicals utilized in various industrial and commercial applications. However, the quantification of PFAS using standard commercial analytical methods is currently limited to <50 selected compounds. To address this issue, the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay was developed, allowing for the oxidative conversion of previously undetectable PFAS precursors into measurable PFAS. This study investigated different sample processing methods to address post-oxidation PFAS loss identified in literature. Using PFOS as a probe molecule, up to 50 % loss of PFOS was identified during sample work-up. It was determined that the use of mass-labelled PFOS and methanolic acetic acid to chemically quench the sample post-oxidation improved PFOS recovery and allowed for correction of any remaining PFOS loss. The use of ultraviolet (UV) light was then investigated as an activator in contrast to the standard thermal activation method. A comparative evaluation was conducted to assess the recovery and conversion of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), PFOS, and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS) using both the heat-activated and UV-activated TOP assays. Results demonstrated that the UV-activated TOP assay achieved complete (100 %) oxidation of 6:2 FTS within 7.5 min, resulting in a total yield of generated perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) at 108 ± 8 %. The study concluded by investigating the UV-activated TOP assay for its application on various aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) formulations and two AFFF samples drained from military aircraft rescue firefighting vehicles (ARFFVs). Analysis of these AFFF samples were supported by high resolution mass spectrometry and an expanded analytical suite, identifying several fluorotelomer precursors. The findings of this study provide compelling evidence that modifications in sample processing, work-up procedures, expansion of initial PFAS calibration standards, and UV-activation methods enhance the TOP assay, positioning it as a more reliable and quantitative analytical tool for PFAS characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Patch
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Natalia O'Connor
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Taylor Vereecken
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Daniel Murphy
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Gabriel Munoz
- Brace Water Center, Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QB H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Ian Ross
- CDM Smith, 75 State St #701, Boston, MA 02109, United States of America
| | - Caitlin Glover
- Brace Water Center, Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QB H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Jennifer Scott
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Iris Koch
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Sébastien Sauvé
- Département de chimie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
| | - Jinxia Liu
- Brace Water Center, Department of Civil Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QB H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Kela Weber
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada.
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Verma S, Mezgebe B, Hejase CA, Sahle-Demessie E, Nadagouda MN. Photodegradation and photocatalysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A review of recent progress. NEXT MATERIALS 2024; 2:1-12. [PMID: 38840836 PMCID: PMC11151751 DOI: 10.1016/j.nxmate.2023.100077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are oxidatively recalcitrant organic synthetic compounds. PFAS are an exceptional group of chemicals that have significant physical characteristics due to the presence of the most electronegative element (i.e., fluorine). PFAS persist in the environment, bioaccumulate, and have been linked to toxicological impacts. Epidemiological and toxicity studies have shown that PFAS pose environmental and health risks, requiring their complete elimination from the environment. Various separation technologies, including adsorption with activated carbon or ion exchange resin; nanofiltration; reverse osmosis; and destruction methods (e.g., sonolysis, thermally induced reduction, and photocatalytic dissociation) have been evaluated to remove PFAS from drinking water supplies. In this review, we will comprehensively summarize previous reports on the photodegradation of PFAS with a special focus on photocatalysis. Additionally, challenges associated with these approaches along with perspectives on the state-of-the-art approaches will be discussed. Finally, the photocatalytic defluorination mechanism of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) following complete mineralization will also be examined in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanny Verma
- Pegasus Technical Services INC., Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA
| | - Bineyam Mezgebe
- Groundwater Characterization and Remediation Division, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, US EPA, Ada, OK 74820, USA
| | - Charifa A. Hejase
- Pegasus Technical Services INC., Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Endalkachew Sahle-Demessie
- Land Remediation and Technology Division, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, US EPA, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - Mallikarjuna N. Nadagouda
- Water Infrastructure Division, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, US EPA, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
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Biondo O, Tomei G, Saleem M, Sretenović GB, Magarotto M, Marotta E, Paradisi C. Products, reactive species and mechanisms of PFOA degradation in a self-pulsing discharge (SPD) plasma reactor. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 341:139972. [PMID: 37640214 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Non-thermal plasma is a promising tool for novel technologies to treat water contaminated by recalcitrant pollutants. We report here on products, reactive species and mechanisms of the efficient degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) achieved with a self-pulsing discharge developed previously in our lab. Air or argon were used as plasma feed gas, ultrapure or tap water as aqueous medium. Identified organic intermediate products arise from chain-shortening and defluorination reactions, the latter achieving not only C-F to C-H exchange (hydro-de-fluorination), as reported in the literature, but also C-F to C-OH exchange (hydroxy-de-fluorination). In contrast with chain-shortening, yielding lower homologues of PFOA via selective cleavage of the C-C bond at the carboxylate group, defluorination occurs at various sites of the alkyl chain giving mixtures of different isomeric products. Plasma generated reactive species were investigated under all experimental conditions tested, using specific chemical probes and optical emission spectroscopy. Cross-analysis of the results revealed a striking direct correlation of energy efficiency for PFOA degradation and for production of plasma electrons. In contrast, no correlation was observed for emission bands of either Ar+ or OH radical. These results indicate a prevalent role of plasma electrons in initiating PFOA degradation using self-pulsing discharge plasma above the liquid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Biondo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulia Tomei
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Mubbshir Saleem
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Goran B Sretenović
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy; University of Belgrade, Faculty of Physics, PO Box 44, 11001, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirko Magarotto
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, Via Venezia 1, 35131, Padova, Italy; Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/b, 35135, Padova, Italy
| | - Ester Marotta
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| | - Cristina Paradisi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131, Padova, Italy
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9
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Kewalramani JA, Bezerra de Souza B, Marsh RW, Meegoda JN. Contributions of reactor geometry and ultrasound frequency on the efficieny of sonochemical reactor. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2023; 98:106529. [PMID: 37487437 PMCID: PMC10374601 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
An intermediate-scale reactor with 10L capacity and two transducers operating at 700 and 950 kHz frequencies was developed to study the scalability of the sonolytic destruction of Per and Polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS). The impact of frequency, height of liquid or power density, and transducer position on reactor performance was evaluated with the potassium iodide (KI) oxidation and calorimetric power. The dual frequency mode of operation has a synergistic effect based on the triiodide concentration, and calorimetric power. The triiodide concentration, and calorimetric power were higher in this mode compared to the combination of both frequencies operating individually. The sonochemical efficiency for an intermediate-scale reactor (10L) was similar that obtained from a bench-scale reactor (2L), showing the scalability of the sonolytic technology. The placement of the transducer at the bottom or side wall of the reactor had no significant impact on the sonochemical reactivity. The superposition of the ultrasonic field from the dual transducer mode (side and bottom) did not produce a synergistic effect compared to the single transducer mode (bottom or side). This can be attributed to a disturbance due to the interaction of ultrasonic fields of two frequencies from each transducer. With the encouraging results scaling up is in progress for site implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitendra A Kewalramani
- Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Bruno Bezerra de Souza
- Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Richard W Marsh
- Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Jay N Meegoda
- Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, United States
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Liu C, Shen Y, Zhao X, Chen Z, Gao R, Zuo Q, He Q, Ma J, Zhi Y. Removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances by nanofiltration: Effect of molecular structure and coexisting natural organic matter. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 454:131438. [PMID: 37099911 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the removal efficiency of anionic, cationic, and zwitterionic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by nanofiltration (NF) in the presence of three representative natural organic matter (NOM) types: bovine serum albumin (BSA), humic acid (HA), and sodium alginate (SA). In particular, effects of PFAS molecular structure and coexisting NOM on the transmission and adsorption efficiency of PFAS during NF treatment were analyzed. The results indicate that NOM types dominate membrane fouling behavior despite the coexistence of PFAS. SA exhibits the most significant fouling propensity, resulting in maximum water flux decline. NF effectively removed both ether and precursor PFAS. The effects of the three typical NOM on the membrane-passing behavior of PFAS were consistent for all PFAS investigated. Generally, PFAS transmission decreased in the order of SA-fouled > pristine > HA-fouled > BSA-fouled, indicating that the presence of HA and BSA enhanced PFAS removal while SA declined. Furthermore, reduced PFAS transmission was observed with increased perfluorocarbon chain length or molecular weight (MW), regardless of the presence or type of the NOM. The impacts of NOM on PFAS filtration diminished when the PFAS van der Waals radius was > 4.0 Å, MW > 500 Da, polarization > 20 Å, or LogKow > 3. These findings suggest that both steric repulsion and hydrophobic interactions, especially the former, play important roles in PFAS rejection by NF. This study provides insights into the specific applicability and performance of membrane-based processes for eliminating PFAS during drinking and wastewater treatments, and highlighting the importance of coexisting NOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caihong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Ye Shen
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Xiaoqing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Ziwei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Rui Gao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Qingyang Zuo
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Qiang He
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China
| | - Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, PR China
| | - Yue Zhi
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China.
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11
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Abou-Khalil C, Kewalramani J, Zhang Z, Sarkar D, Abrams S, Boufadel MC. Effect of clay content on the mobilization efficiency of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from soils by electrokinetics and hydraulic flushing. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 322:121160. [PMID: 36716947 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The need for the efficient remediation of soils impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is substantially growing because of the notable upsurge in societal and regulatory awareness of this class of chemicals. To remediate PFAS-contaminated soils using mobilization approaches, the choice of appropriate techniques highly depends on the soil's composition, particularly the clay content, which significantly affects the soil's permeability. Here, we investigated the PFAS mobilization efficiency from soils with different clay contents by using two techniques: electrokinetic (EK) remediation and hydraulic flushing. Artificial kaolinite was added to a loamy sand soil to prepare four soil blends with clay contents of 5, 25, 50, and 75%, each contaminated with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfulorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOA) at 10,000 μg/kg. EK remediation was conducted by applying a low voltage (30 V) with a current of 100 mA, and hydraulic flushing was carried out by applying a hydraulic gradient (HG) with a slope of 6.7%. Results show that, with a 14-day treatment duration, the EK-mobilization efficiency was enhanced substantially with the increase of clay content (removal of PFOS increased from 20% at 5% clay to 80% at 75% clay), most likely due to the increase of electroosmotic flow due to the higher content of particles having a zeta potential (i.e., clay). For HG, increasing the clay content significantly suppressed the mobilization of PFAS (removal of PFOS decreased from 40% at 5% clay to 10% at 75% clay) due to a notable decrease in the soil's permeability. Based on the results, applying hydraulic flushing and washing techniques for mobilizing PFAS would be appropriate when treating permeable soils with a maximum clay content of about 25%; otherwise, other suitable mobilization techniques such as EKs should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charbel Abou-Khalil
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Jitendra Kewalramani
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Zhiming Zhang
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
| | - Dibyendu Sarkar
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
| | - Stewart Abrams
- Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., 300 Kimball Dr., Parsippany, NJ 07054, USA
| | - Michel C Boufadel
- Center for Natural Resources, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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12
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Qian S, Lu H, Xiong T, Zhi Y, Munoz G, Zhang C, Li Z, Liu C, Li W, Wang X, He Q. Bioaccumulation of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Ferns: Effect of PFAS Molecular Structure and Plant Root Characteristics. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:4443-4453. [PMID: 36848373 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The present study assessed the bioaccumulation potential of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in ferns and linked root uptake behaviors to root characteristics and PFAS molecular structure. Tissue and subcellular-level behavioral differences between alternative and legacy PFAS were compared via an electron probe microanalyzer with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EPMA-EDS) and differential centrifugation. Our results show that ferns can accumulate PFAS from water, immobilize them in roots, and store them in harvestable tissue. The PFAS loading in roots was dominated by PFOS; however, a substantial amount of associated PFOS could be rinsed off by methanol. Correlation analyses indicated that root length, surface and project area, surface area per unit length of the root system, and molecular size and hydrophobicity of PFAS were the most significant factors affecting the magnitude of root uptake and upward translocation. EPMA-EDS images together with exposure experiments suggested that long-chain hydrophobic compounds tend to be adsorbed and retained on the root epidermis, while short-chain compounds are absorbed and quickly translocated upward. Our findings demonstrated the feasibility of using ferns in phytostabilization and phytoextraction initiatives of PFAS in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenhua Qian
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Hongying Lu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Tiantian Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yue Zhi
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Gabriel Munoz
- Department of Chemistry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2V 0B3, Canada
| | - Chuhui Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, United States
| | - Zhengwei Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Caihong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Qiang He
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
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13
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Ateia M, Chiang D, Cashman M, Acheson C. Total Oxidizable Precursor (TOP) Assay-Best Practices, Capabilities and Limitations for PFAS Site Investigation and Remediation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2023; 10:292-301. [PMID: 37313434 PMCID: PMC10259459 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The comprehensive characterization of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is necessary for the effective assessment and management of risk at contaminated sites. While current analytical methods are capable of quantitatively measuring a number of specific PFASs, they do not provide a complete picture of the thousands of PFASs that are utilized in commercial products and potentially released into the environment. These unmeasured PFASs include many PFAS precursors, which may be converted into related PFAS chemicals through oxidation. The total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay offers a means of bridging this gap by oxidizing unknown PFAS precursors and intermediates and converting them into stable PFASs with established analytical standards. The application of the TOP assay to samples from PFAS-contaminated sites has generated several new insights, but it has also presented various technical challenges for laboratories. Despite the increased number of literature studies that include the TOP assay, there is a critical and growing gap in the application of this method beyond researchers in academia. This article outlines the benefits and challenges of using the TOP assay with aqueous samples for site assessments and suggests ways to address some of its limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Ateia
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Solutions & Emergency Response, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, United States; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Dora Chiang
- WSP USA, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, United States
| | - Michaela Cashman
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narraganset, Rhode Island 02882, United States
| | - Carolyn Acheson
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Center for Environmental Solutions & Emergency Response, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, United States
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14
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Marquínez-Marquínez AN, Loor-Molina NS, Quiroz-Fernández LS, Maddela NR, Luque R, Rodríguez-Díaz JM. Recent advances in the remediation of perfluoroalkylated and polyfluoroalkylated contaminated sites. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 219:115152. [PMID: 36572331 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.115152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are compounds used since 1940 in various formulations in the industrial and consumer sectors due to their high chemical and thermal stability. In recent years, PFASs have caused global concern due to their presence in different water and soil matrices, which threatens the environment and human health. These compounds have been reported to be linked to the development of serious human diseases, including but not limited to cancer. For this reason, PFASs have been considered as persistent organic compounds (COPs) and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Therefore, this work aims to present the advances in remediation of PFASs-contaminated soil and water by addressing the current literature. The performance and characteristics of each technique were addressed deeply in this work. The reviewed literature found that PFASs elimination studies in soil and water were carried out at a laboratory and pilot-scale in some cases. It was found that ball milling, chemical oxidation and thermal desorption are the most efficient techniques for the removal of PFASs in soils, however, phyto-microbial remediation is under study, which claims to be a promising technique. For the remediation of PFASs-contaminated water, the processes of electrocoagulation, membrane filtration, ozofractionation, catalysis, oxidation reactions - reduction, thermolysis and destructive treatments with plasma have presented the best results. It is noteworthy that hybrid treatments have also proved to be efficient techniques in the removal of these contaminants from soil and water matrices. Therefore, the improvisation and implication of existing techniques on a field-scale are greatly warranted to corroborate the yields obtained on a pilot- and laboratory-scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Noe Marquínez-Marquínez
- Departamento de Procesos Químicos, Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas, Físicas y Químicas, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo, Ecuador; Laboratorio de Análisis Químicos y Biotecnológicos, Instituto de Investigación, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, S/N, Avenida Urbina y Che Guevara, Portoviejo, 130104, Ecuador.
| | - Nikolt Stephanie Loor-Molina
- Departamento de Procesos Químicos, Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas, Físicas y Químicas, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo, Ecuador; Laboratorio de Análisis Químicos y Biotecnológicos, Instituto de Investigación, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, S/N, Avenida Urbina y Che Guevara, Portoviejo, 130104, Ecuador.
| | | | - Naga Raju Maddela
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de La Salud, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo, 130105, Ecuador.
| | - Rafael Luque
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Edificio Marie Curie (C-3), Ctra Nnal IV-A, Km 396, E14014, Cordoba, Spain; Universidad ECOTEC, Km. 13.5 Samborondón, Samborondón, EC092302, Ecuador
| | - Joan Manuel Rodríguez-Díaz
- Departamento de Procesos Químicos, Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas, Físicas y Químicas, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo, Ecuador; Laboratorio de Análisis Químicos y Biotecnológicos, Instituto de Investigación, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, S/N, Avenida Urbina y Che Guevara, Portoviejo, 130104, Ecuador.
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15
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Maddela NR, Ramakrishnan B, Dueñas-Rivadeneira AA, Venkateswarlu K, Megharaj M. Chemicals/materials of emerging concern in farmlands: sources, crop uptake and potential human health risks. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:2217-2236. [PMID: 36444949 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00322h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Certain chemicals/materials that are contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) have been widely detected in water bodies and terrestrial systems worldwide while other CECs occur at undetectable concentrations. The primary sources of CECs in farmlands are agricultural inputs, such as wastewater, biosolids, sewage sludge, and agricultural mulching films. The percent increase in cropland area during 1950-2016 was 30 and the rise in land use for food crops during 1960-2018 was 100-500%, implying that there could be a significant CEC burden in farmlands in the future. In fact, the alarming concentrations (μg kg-1) of certain CECs such as PBDEs, PAEs, and PFOS that occur in farmlands are 383, 35 400 and 483, respectively. Also, metal nanoparticles are reported even at the mg kg-1 level. Chronic root accumulation followed by translocation of CECs into plants results in their detectable concentrations in the final plant produce. Thus, there is a continuous flow of CECs from farmlands to agricultural produce, causing a serious threat to the terrestrial food chain. Consequently, CECs find their way to the human body directly through CEC-laden plant produce or indirectly via the meat of grazing animals. Thus, human health could be at the most critical risk since several CECs have been shown to cause cancers, disruption of endocrine and cognitive systems, maternal-foetal transfer, neurotoxicity, and genotoxicity. Overall, this comprehensive review provides updated information on contamination of chemicals/materials of concern in farmlands globally, sources for their entry, uptake by crop plants, and their likely impact on the terrestrial food chain and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naga Raju Maddela
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo 130105, Ecuador
- Instituto de Investigación, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Portoviejo 130105, Ecuador
| | | | - Alex Alberto Dueñas-Rivadeneira
- Departamento de Procesos Agroindustriales, Facultad de Ciencias Zootécnicas, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Av. Urbina y Che Guevara, Portoviejo, Ecuador
| | - Kadiyala Venkateswarlu
- Formerly Department of Microbiology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapuramu 515003, India
| | - Mallavarapu Megharaj
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), and Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Faculty of Science, The University of Newcastle, ATC Building University Drive, Callaghan, 2308, NSW, Australia.
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16
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Liu C, Zhao X, Faria AF, Deliz Quiñones KY, Zhang C, He Q, Ma J, Shen Y, Zhi Y. Evaluating the efficiency of nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membrane processes for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from water: A critical review. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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17
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Niarchos G, Ahrens L, Kleja DB, Fagerlund F. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) retention by colloidal activated carbon (CAC) using dynamic column experiments. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119667. [PMID: 35750303 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Developing effective remediation methods for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS)-contaminated soils is a substantial step towards counteracting their widespread occurrence and protecting our ecosystems and drinking water sources. Stabilisation of PFAS in the subsurface using colloidal activated carbon (CAC) is an innovative, yet promising technique, requiring better understanding. In this study, dynamic soil column tests were used to assess the retardation of 10 classical perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) (C5-C11 perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and C4, C6, C8 perfluoroalkane sulfonates (PFSAs)) as well as two alternative PFAS (6:2 and 8:2 fluorotelomer sulfonates) using CAC at 0.03% w/w, to investigate the fate and transport of PFAS under CAC treatment applications. Results showed high retardation rates for long-chain PFAS and eight times higher retardation for the CAC-treated soil compared to the non-treated reference soil for the ∑PFAS. Replacement of shorter chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), such as perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA), by longer chained PFAS was observed, indicating competition effects. Partitioning coefficients (Kd values) were calculated for the CAC fraction at ∼103-105 L kg-1 for individual PFAS, while there was a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between perfluorocarbon chain length and Kd. Mass balance calculations showed 37% retention of ∑PFAS in treated soil columns after completion of the experiments and 99.7% higher retention rates than the reference soil. Redistribution and elution of CAC were noticed and quantified through organic carbon analysis, which showed a 23% loss of carbon during the experiments. These findings are a step towards better understanding the extent of CAC's potential for remediation of PFAS-contaminated soil and groundwater and the limitations of its applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Niarchos
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 256, SE-751 05, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P.O. Box 7050, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dan Berggren Kleja
- Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), P. O. Box 7090, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fritjof Fagerlund
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, P.O. Box 256, SE-751 05, Uppsala, Sweden
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18
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Battye NJ, Patch DJ, Roberts DMD, O'Connor NM, Turner LP, Kueper BH, Hulley ME, Weber KP. Use of a horizontal ball mill to remediate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 835:155506. [PMID: 35483472 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
There is a need for destructive technologies for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil. While planetary ball mill have been shown successful degradation of PFAS, there are issues surrounding scale up (maximum size is typically 0.5 L cylinders). While having lower energy outputs, horizontal ball mills, for which scale up is not a limiting factor, already exist at commercial/industrial sizes from the mining, metallurgic and agricultural industries, which could be re-purposed. This study evaluated the effectiveness of horizontal ball mills in degrading perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTSA), and aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) spiked on nepheline syenite sand. Horizontal ball milling was also applied to two different soil types (sand dominant and clay dominant) collected from a firefighting training area (FFTA). Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to track 21 target PFAS throughout the milling process. High-resolution accurate mass spectrometry was also used to identify the presence and degradation of 19 non-target fluorotelomer substances, including 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamido betaine (FtSaB), 7:3 fluorotelomer betaine (FtB), and 6:2 fluorotelomer thioether amido sulfonate (FtTAoS). In the presence of potassium hydroxide (KOH), used as a co-milling reagent, PFOS, 6:2 FTSA, and the non-target fluorotelomer substances in the AFFF were found to undergo upwards of 81%, 97%, and 100% degradation, respectively. Despite the inherent added complexity associated with field soils, better PFAS degradation was observed on the FFTA soils over the spiked NSS, and more specifically, on the FFTA clay over the FFTA sand. These results held through scale-up, going from the 1 L to the 25 L cylinders. The results of this study support further scale-up in preparation for on-site pilot tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Battye
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - David J Patch
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Dylan M D Roberts
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Natalia M O'Connor
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Lauren P Turner
- Department of Civil Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Bernard H Kueper
- Department of Civil Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Michael E Hulley
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Civil Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Kela P Weber
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON, Canada; Department of Civil Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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19
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Patch D, O'Connor N, Koch I, Cresswell T, Hughes C, Davies JB, Scott J, O'Carroll D, Weber K. Elucidating degradation mechanisms for a range of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) via controlled irradiation studies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 832:154941. [PMID: 35367256 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a challenging class of environmental pollutants due to a lack of available destructive remediation technologies. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms for degradation of PFAS is key for the development of field scalable and in-situ destructive based remediation technologies. This study aimed to elucidate and refine the current understanding of PFAS degradation mechanisms in water through a series of controlled gamma irradiation studies. Gamma irradiation of PFAS was performed using a cobalt-60 source in a batch irradiation up to 80 kGy at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate (6:2 FTS), and a suite of thirteen different PFAS (including C4-C12 PFCAs, C4, C6, C8 PFSAs, and FOSA) were irradiated to investigate degradation, influence of pH, chain length, and transformation. High resolution mass spectrometry was used to identify more than 80 fluorinated transformation products throughout the degradation experiments. These included the -F/+H, -F/+OH, -F/CH2OH exchanged PFAS and n - 1 PFCA, amongst others. Given the reactive species present (hydroxyl radicals (·OH), hydrogen radicals (·H) and aqueous electrons (e-aq)), and the degradation products formed it was shown that aqueous electrons were the key reactive species responsible for initial PFAS degradation. Most importantly, based on degradation product formation, we found that the initial -F/+H does not have to occur at the α-fluoride (nearest the functional head group), rather occurring throughout the chain length leading to more complex degradation pathways than previously postulated. While our results support some of the reaction steps postulated in the literature, we have developed a unified 16 step and 3 pathway schematic of degradation supported by experimental observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Patch
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Natalia O'Connor
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Iris Koch
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Tom Cresswell
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australia
| | - Cath Hughes
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australia
| | - Justin B Davies
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australia
| | - Jennifer Scott
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Denis O'Carroll
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Kela Weber
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada; School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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20
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Yin S, Villagrán D. Design of nanomaterials for the removal of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water: Strategies, mechanisms, challenges, and opportunities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 831:154939. [PMID: 35367257 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Due to their persistent and pervasive distribution and their adverse effects on human health, the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the environment has been the focus of current research. Recent studies have shown that engineered nanomaterials provide great opportunities for their removal by chemical, physical and electrochemical adsorption methods, or as photo- or electrocatalysts that promote their degradation. This review summarizes and discusses the performance of recently reported nanomaterials towards PFAS removal in water treatment applications. We discuss the performance, mechanisms, and PFAS removal conditions of a variety of nanomaterials, including carbon-based, non-metal, single-metal, and multi-metal nanomaterials. We show that nanotechnology provides significant opportunities for PFAS remediation and further nanomaterial development can provide solutions for the removal of PFAS from the environment. We also provide an overview of the current challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Yin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), USA
| | - Dino Villagrán
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA; Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), USA.
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21
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Removing emerging perfluoroalkyl ether acids and fluorotelomer sulfonates from water by nanofiltration membranes: insights into performance and underlying mechanisms. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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22
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Pang H, Dorian B, Gao L, Xie Z, Cran M, Muthukumaran S, Sidiroglou F, Gray S, Zhang J. Remediation of poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated soil using gas fractionation enhanced technology. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 827:154310. [PMID: 35257781 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated a gas fractionation enhanced soil washing method for poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) removal from contaminated soil. With the assistance of gas fractionation, PFAS removal was increased by a factor of 9, compared to the conventional soil washing method. Pre-extraction (pre-treatment) of the soil with water before gas fractionation enhanced PFAS removal from soil. The optimum extraction time varied based on the soil particle size, since it will change the swelling time of the soil. The influence of various operational conditions such as water to soil mass ratio (W:S ratio), gas type in fractionation, gas flowrate, fractionation time and soil pre-treatment condition have been studied to identify the critical influencing factors. Among various W:S ratios (2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10) studied, higher W:S ratio resulted in better PFAS removals, but PFAS removal began to plateau as the W:S ratio increased. PFAS removal could be improved by repeated treatment with low water consumption. Air, oxygen, and ozone generated by air and oxygen were used, in which ozone generated by oxygen achieved the highest PFAS removals of 55.9%. Among different fractionation times (10 min, 20 min and 30 min), a fractionation time of 20 min achieved better total PFAS removal for studied soil, because PFOS was the dominant species in the total PFAS. However, the removal of some PFAS species, such as PFHxS, would be increased with extended fractionation time. With constant fractionation time (10 min), PFAS removal performance improved with the increasing gas flowrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjiao Pang
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia; Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3000, Australia
| | | | - Li Gao
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia; South East Water Corporation, PO Box 2268, Seaford, Victoria 3198, Australia
| | - Zongli Xie
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Private Bag 10, Clayton South MDC, VIC 3169, Australia
| | - Marlene Cran
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Shobha Muthukumaran
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Fotios Sidiroglou
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Stephen Gray
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Institute for Sustainable Industries and Liveable Cities, Victoria University, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia.
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23
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Zhang C, McElroy AC, Liberatore HK, Alexander NLM, Knappe DR. Stability of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Solvents Relevant to Environmental and Toxicological Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:6103-6112. [PMID: 34734715 PMCID: PMC9065217 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used anthropogenic chemicals. For environmental and toxicological analysis, it is important to understand the stability of PFASs, including novel per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs), in commonly used solvents. In this study, we investigated the effects of PFAS characteristics, solvent type, water-to-organic solvent ratio, and temperature on the stability of 21 PFASs including 18 PFEAs. None of the studied PFASs showed measurable degradation in deionized water, methanol, or isopropyl alcohol over 30 days; however, nine PFEAs degraded in the polar aprotic solvents acetonitrile, acetone, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). PFEA degradation followed first-order kinetics, and first-order rate constants increased with increasing temperature and with decreasing water-to-organic solvent ratio. Monoethers with a carboxylic acid functional group adjacent to a tertiary carbon (>CF-COOH) degraded more rapidly than multiethers in which the carboxylic acid moiety was adjacent to repeating -CF2O- groups. In contrast, monoethers with a carboxylic acid moiety adjacent to a secondary carbon (-CF2-COOH) were stable in all tested solvents. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry, we determined that PFEAs with a >CF-COOH group were stoichiometrically decarboxylated in aprotic solvents and formed products with a >CFH group; e.g., hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA or GenX), HFPO-trimer acid, and HFPO-tetramer acid were stoichiometrically converted to Fluoroethers E-1, E-2, and E-3, respectively. PFEA degradation results highlight the importance of solvent choice when preparing dosing solutions and performing extractions for environmental and toxicological assessments of PFEAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuhui Zhang
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Amie C. McElroy
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Hannah K. Liberatore
- Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Nancy Lee M. Alexander
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Detlef R.U. Knappe
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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24
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Evich MG, Davis MJB, McCord JP, Acrey B, Awkerman JA, Knappe DRU, Lindstrom AB, Speth TF, Stevens CT, Strynar MJ, Wang Z, Weber EJ, Henderson WM, Washington JW. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the environment. Science 2022; 375:eabg9065. [PMID: 35113710 PMCID: PMC8902460 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg9065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 383] [Impact Index Per Article: 191.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Over the past several years, the term PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) has grown to be emblematic of environmental contamination, garnering public, scientific, and regulatory concern. PFAS are synthesized by two processes, direct fluorination (e.g., electrochemical fluorination) and oligomerization (e.g., fluorotelomerization). More than a megatonne of PFAS is produced yearly, and thousands of PFAS wind up in end-use products. Atmospheric and aqueous fugitive releases during manufacturing, use, and disposal have resulted in the global distribution of these compounds. Volatile PFAS facilitate long-range transport, commonly followed by complex transformation schemes to recalcitrant terminal PFAS, which do not degrade under environmental conditions and thus migrate through the environment and accumulate in biota through multiple pathways. Efforts to remediate PFAS-contaminated matrices still are in their infancy, with much current research targeting drinking water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina G. Evich
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Mary J. B. Davis
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - James P. McCord
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Brad Acrey
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Jill A. Awkerman
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Detlef R. U. Knappe
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Center for Human Health and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Andrew B. Lindstrom
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment
| | - Thomas F. Speth
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response
| | - Caroline T. Stevens
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Mark J. Strynar
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - Zhanyun Wang
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Eric J. Weber
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - W. Matthew Henderson
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
| | - John W. Washington
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling
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25
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Kaiser AM, Saracevic E, Schaar HP, Weiss S, Hornek-Gausterer R. Ozone as oxidizing agent for the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay and as a preceding step for activated carbon treatments concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance removal. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 300:113692. [PMID: 34509127 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Several thousands of highly persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exist and it is therefore challenging to analytically determine a larger spectrum of these compounds simultaneously in one sample. It is even more difficult to efficiently remove mobile PFAS in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to protect the receiving waters. The total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay is an approach that enables the detection of the total PFAS content in a sample via oxidation of precursors, followed by subsequent analysis of the perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) concentration before and after oxidative processes. Activated carbon combined with a preceding ozonation step is considered a promising tool for the removal of micropollutants but considering PFAS removal efficiencies in effluents for this process combination more information is required. The focus of the study was to implement and assess the TOP assay with ozone as oxidizing agent to estimate the total PFAS content in a WWTP effluent. Additionally, granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) with a preceding ozonation step was tested for the removal efficiencies for 22 PFAS. For the TOP assay the obtained accordance in molarity using spiked tap water as quality control was 95.2% (15 mg O3/L) and 99.1% (6 mg O3/L). Applying the TOP assay, an estimated total PFAS content of 840 ng/L was determined in the respective effluent, which was 91.1% higher than obtained by target PFAS analysis, implying the presence of unknown precursors not included in common monitoring. While all treatment techniques that included ozone or a preceding ozonation step solely transformed precursors and long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA, i.e., >C9) to shorter congeners, PAC was the only tested water treatment application that was able to remove 19.3% of the total PFAS molarity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ernis Saracevic
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 12/226-1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heidemarie Paula Schaar
- TU Wien, Institute for Water Quality and Resource Management, Karlsplatz 12/226-1, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Weiss
- Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
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26
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He H, Li Y, Shen R, Shim H, Zeng Y, Zhao S, Lu Q, Mai B, Wang S. Environmental occurrence and remediation of emerging organohalides: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 290:118060. [PMID: 34479159 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As replacements for "old" organohalides, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), "new" organohalides have been developed, including decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), and perfluorobutyrate (PFBA). In the past decade, these emerging organohalides (EOHs) have been extensively produced as industrial and consumer products, resulting in their widespread environmental distribution. This review comprehensively summarizes the environmental occurrence and remediation methods for typical EOHs. Based on the data collected from 2015 to 2021, these EOHs are widespread in both abiotic (e.g., dust, air, soil, sediment, and water) and biotic (e.g., bird, fish, and human serum) matrices. A significant positive correlation was found between the estimated annual production amounts of EOHs and their environmental contamination levels, suggesting the prohibition of both production and usage of EOHs as a critical pollution-source control strategy. The strengths and weaknesses, as well as the future prospects of up-to-date remediation techniques, such as photodegradation, chemical oxidation, and biodegradation, are critically discussed. Of these remediation techniques, microbial reductive dehalogenation represents a promising in situ remediation method for removal of EOHs, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Haozheng He
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yiyang Li
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Rui Shen
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Hojae Shim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China
| | - Yanhong Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Siyan Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, 211816, China
| | - Qihong Lu
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
| | - Bixian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Shanquan Wang
- Environmental Microbiomics Research Center, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Control and Remediation Technology, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
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27
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Verma S, Varma RS, Nadagouda MN. Remediation and mineralization processes for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 794:148987. [PMID: 34426018 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic organic molecules used to manufacture various consumer and industrials products. In PFAS, the CF bond is stable, which renders these compounds chemically stable and prevents their breakdown. Several PFAS treatment processes such as adsorption, photolysis and photocatalysis, bioremediation, sonolysis, electrochemical oxidation, etc., have been explored and are being developed. The present review article has critically summarized degradative technologies and provides in-depth knowledge of photodegradation, electrochemical degradation, chemical oxidation, and reduction mineralization mechanism. Also, novel non-degradative technologies, including nano-adsorbents, natural and surface-modified clay minerals/zeolites, calixarene-based polymers, and molecularly imprinted polymers and adsorbents derived from biomaterials are discussed in detail. Of these novel approaches photocatalysis combined with membrane filtration or electrochemical oxidation via a treatment train approach shows promising results in removing PFAS in natural waters. The photocatalytic mineralization mechanism of PFOA is discussed, leading to recommendations for future research on novel remediation strategies for removing PFAS from water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanny Verma
- Pegasus Technical Services, Inc., 46 E. Hollister Street, Cincinnati, OH 45219, USA
| | - Rajender S Varma
- Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacký University in Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Mallikarjuna N Nadagouda
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
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28
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Delva-Wiley J, Jahan I, Newman RH, Zhang L, Dong M. Computational Analysis of the Binding Mechanism of GenX and HSA. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:29166-29170. [PMID: 34746605 PMCID: PMC8567346 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c04592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
One PFOS alternative, ammonium 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy) propanoate, known as GenX, was created to replace one of the original PFAS. This small and tough molecule has been found in surface water, groundwater, drinking water, rainwater, and air emissions in some areas in the United States. Recently, GenX has been shown to have an impact on several disease-related proteins in humans, and just like PFOS, it binds to human protein human serum albumin (HSA). In this paper, we reported four binding sites of GenX on HSA protein via docking and molecular dynamics simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannette Delva-Wiley
- Department
of Chemistry, North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
- Department
of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
| | - Israt Jahan
- Department
of Nanoengineering, North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
| | - Robert H. Newman
- Department
of Biology, North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
| | - Lifeng Zhang
- Department
of Nanoengineering, North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
- . Phone: 336-285-2875
| | - Ming Dong
- Department
of Chemistry, North Carolina Agricultural
and Technical State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411, United States
- . Phone: 336-285-2234
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29
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Long M, Donoso J, Bhati M, Elias WC, Heck KN, Luo YH, Lai YS, Gu H, Senftle TP, Zhou C, Wong MS, Rittmann BE. Adsorption and Reductive Defluorination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid over Palladium Nanoparticles. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:14836-14843. [PMID: 34496574 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) comprise a group of widespread and recalcitrant contaminants that are attracting increasing concern due to their persistence and adverse health effects. This study evaluated removal of one of the most prevalent PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in H2-based membrane catalyst-film reactors (H2-MCfRs) coated with palladium nanoparticles (Pd0NPs). Batch tests documented that Pd0NPs catalyzed hydrodefluorination of PFOA to partially fluorinated and nonfluorinated octanoic acids; the first-order rate constant for PFOA removal was 0.030 h-1, and a maximum defluorination rate was 16 μM/h in our bench-scale MCfR. Continuous-flow tests achieved stable long-term depletion of PFOA to below the EPA health advisory level (70 ng/L) for up to 70 days without catalyst loss or deactivation. Two distinct mechanisms for Pd0-based PFOA removal were identified based on insights from experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations: (1) nonreactive chemisorption of PFOA in a perpendicular orientation on empty metallic surface sites and (2) reactive defluorination promoted by physiosorption of PFOA in a parallel orientation above surface sites populated with activated hydrogen atoms (Hads*). Pd0-based catalytic reduction chemistry and continuous-flow treatment may be broadly applicable to the ambient-temperature destruction of other PFAS compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Long
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5701, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Juan Donoso
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Manav Bhati
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Welman C Elias
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Kimberly N Heck
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Yi-Hao Luo
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5701, United States
| | - YenJung Sean Lai
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5701, United States
| | - Haiwei Gu
- Arizona Metabolomics Laboratory, College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, United States
| | - Thomas P Senftle
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Chen Zhou
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5701, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Michael S Wong
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, United States
| | - Bruce E Rittmann
- Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287-5701, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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30
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Mantripragada S, Deng D, Zhang L. Remediation of GenX from water by amidoxime surface-functionalized electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous adsorbent. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 283:131235. [PMID: 34153919 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
As a short-chain PFAS, GenX has gained increasing attention in recent years as a hazardous and emerging contaminant in water bodies. However, there is only limited research outcome up to date to address GenX remediation from water. In this research, we investigated amidoxime surface-functionalized PAN nanofibrous material from electrospinning as adsorbent to remove GenX from water. The nanofibrous adsorbent from 10 min treatment of electrospun PAN nanofibrous material in hydroxylamine (ASFPAN10) realized 35% GenX removal from a 100 mg/L aqueous solution at pH = 4 and 0.24 g/L loading after a simple one-time filtration with a GenX removal capacity of ~0.6 mmol/g. The mechanism study indicated that the GenX adsorption on PAN nanofibrous adsorbent could be mainly ascribed to hydrophobic interaction and dipole-dipole interaction between CN and C-F while the GenX adsorption on ASFPAN10 nanofibrous adsorbent could be mainly attributed to coulomb force between positive-charged CN+(OH)-H from ASFPAN10 and negative-charged COO- from GenX. Compared to that of PAN, the more hydrophilic surface of ASFPAN10 facilitated water access to the nanofibrous adsorbent surface and also contributed to the higher GenX removal efficiency. For the first time, this research pointed out a direction to use common economic materials for effective remediation of short-chain PFAS from water bodies especially at relatively high PFAS centration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shobha Mantripragada
- Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, 27401, USA
| | - Dongyang Deng
- Department of Built Environment, College of Science and Technology, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, 27401, USA.
| | - Lifeng Zhang
- Department of Nanoengineering, Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, 27401, USA.
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31
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Pilli S, Pandey AK, Pandey V, Pandey K, Muddam T, Thirunagari BK, Thota ST, Varjani S, Tyagi RD. Detection and removal of poly and perfluoroalkyl polluting substances for sustainable environment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 297:113336. [PMID: 34325368 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PFAs (poly and perfluoroalkyl compounds) are hazardous and bioaccumulative chemicals that do not readily biodegrade or neutralize under normal environmental conditions. They have various industrial, commercial, domestic and defence applications. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, there are around 4700 PFAs registered to date. They are present in every stream of life, and they are often emerging and are even difficult to be detected by the standard chemical methods. This review aims to focus on the sources of various PFAs and the toxicities they impose on the environment and especially on humankind. Drinking water, food packaging, industrial areas and commercial household products are the primary PFAs sources. Some of the well-known treatment methods for remediation of PFAs presented in the literature are activated carbon, filtration, reverse osmosis, nano filtration, oxidation processes etc. The crucial stage of handling the PFAs occurs in determining and analysing the type of PFA and its remedy. This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of determination & tools, and techniques for remediation of PFAs in the environment. Improving new treatment methodologies that are economical and sustainable are essential for excluding the PFAs from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sridhar Pilli
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Fathimanagar, Telangana, 506004, India.
| | - Ashutosh Kumar Pandey
- Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability-India, Lucknow, 226 029, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vivek Pandey
- Department of Geography, Allahabad Degree College (A.D.C.), Allahabad University, Prayagraj, 211003, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kritika Pandey
- Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology for Handicapped, Kanpur, 208024, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Tulasiram Muddam
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Fathimanagar, Telangana, 506004, India
| | - Baby Keerthi Thirunagari
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Fathimanagar, Telangana, 506004, India
| | - Sai Teja Thota
- Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Fathimanagar, Telangana, 506004, India
| | - Sunita Varjani
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, 382 010, Gujarat, India.
| | - Rajeshwar Dayal Tyagi
- Chief Scientific Officer, BOSK Bioproducts, 399 Rue Jacquard, Suite 100, Quebec, Canada
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32
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Bolan N, Sarkar B, Vithanage M, Singh G, Tsang DCW, Mukhopadhyay R, Ramadass K, Vinu A, Sun Y, Ramanayaka S, Hoang SA, Yan Y, Li Y, Rinklebe J, Li H, Kirkham MB. Distribution, behaviour, bioavailability and remediation of poly- and per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in solid biowastes and biowaste-treated soil. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 155:106600. [PMID: 33964642 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous film-forming foam, used in firefighting, and biowastes, including biosolids, animal and poultry manures, and composts, provide a major source of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) input to soil. Large amounts of biowastes are added to soil as a source of nutrients and carbon. They also are added as soil amendments to improve soil health and crop productivity. Plant uptake of PFAS through soil application of biowastes is a pathway for animal and human exposure to PFAS. The complexity of PFAS mixtures, and their chemical and thermal stability, make remediation of PFAS in both solid and aqueous matrices challenging. Remediation of PFAS in biowastes, as well as soils treated with these biowastes, can be achieved through preventing and decreasing the concentration of PFAS in biowaste sources (i.e., prevention through source control), mobilization of PFAS in contaminated soil and subsequent removal through leaching (i.e., soil washing) and plant uptake (i.e., phytoremediation), sorption of PFAS, thereby decreasing their mobility and bioavailability (i.e., immobilization), and complete removal through thermal and chemical oxidation (i.e., destruction). In this review, the distribution, bioavailability, and remediation of PFAS in soil receiving solid biowastes, which include biosolids, composts, and manure, are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanthi Bolan
- The Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia, The Cooperative Centre for High Performance Soils, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
| | - Binoy Sarkar
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Meththika Vithanage
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka
| | - Gurwinder Singh
- The Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; The Cooperative Centre for High Performance Soils, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel C W Tsang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Raj Mukhopadhyay
- Division of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal 132001, India
| | - Kavitha Ramadass
- The Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; The Cooperative Centre for High Performance Soils, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Ajayan Vinu
- The Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; The Cooperative Centre for High Performance Soils, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Yuqing Sun
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Sammani Ramanayaka
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom; Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda 10250, Sri Lanka
| | - Son A Hoang
- The Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia, The Cooperative Centre for High Performance Soils, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Yubo Yan
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai'an 223300, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences of Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, PR China
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, Faculty of Architecture und Civil Engineering, Institute of Soil Engineering, Waste- and Water Science, Laboratory of Soil- and Groundwater-Management, Germany; Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Korea.
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Korea
| | - M B Kirkham
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
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33
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Pinkard BR, Shetty S, Stritzinger D, Bellona C, Novosselov IV. Destruction of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) in a batch supercritical water oxidation reactor. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 279:130834. [PMID: 34134433 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Effective technologies are needed for the destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). One promising technology is supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), which can be accommodated in batch or continuous reactors. Many PFAS-laden wastes consist primarily of solid particles, and batch SCWO processing may offer safe end-of-life PFAS destruction for these feedstocks. In this study, perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is reacted via supercritical water oxidation in a batch reactor at temperatures between 425 and 500 °C and residence times from 0 to 60 min, to determine the effect of both parameters on the extent of destruction and defluorination. Analysis of liquid products via targeted LC-QToF-MS does not indicate production of intermediate fluorocarbons. However, a low fluorine mass balance at temperatures of 425 and 450 °C may indicate the existence of fluorinated species in the gaseous and/or liquid product which are not detected by targeted analysis. Destruction and defluorination efficiencies are determined for each tested condition, with a maximum 70.0% PFOS destruction and 78.2% defluorination achieved after 60 min of reaction at 500 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R Pinkard
- University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Department, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA; Aquagga, Inc., Tacoma, WA, 98421, USA.
| | - Shreyas Shetty
- University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Department, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Derek Stritzinger
- University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Department, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Christopher Bellona
- Colorado School of Mines, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Golden, CO, 80401, USA
| | - Igor V Novosselov
- University of Washington, Mechanical Engineering Department, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA; University of Washington, Institute for Nanoengineered Systems, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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34
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Bräunig J, Baduel C, Barnes CM, Mueller JF. Sorbent assisted immobilisation of perfluoroalkyl acids in soils - effect on leaching and bioavailability. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 412:125171. [PMID: 33529830 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Contamination of soils and groundwater with perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) is widespread due to their use in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF). In this study the effectiveness of RemBind®, a sorbent containing activated carbon and aluminium oxyhydroxides was tested, as a tool to reduce the leaching and bioavailability of 12 PFAAs in soils, by amending contaminated soils with 5-30% (by weight) of the sorbents. Batch tests were used to determine the leaching of PFAAs. Their bioavailability to earthworms and wheat grass was assessed in greenhouse microcosms. Leaching and bioavailability of PFOS was reduced by up to 99.9%, at most sorbent application rates. Lowest reduction of leaching was found for shorter perfluoroalkyl chain length chemicals. The specific formulation of RemBind®, which is available in a basic and superior formulation, as well as the application rate were parameters for increasing effectiveness of the treatment. Furthermore, differences in leaching as well as bioavailability were seen depending on the perfluoroalkyl chain length. A preliminary assessment of the long-term stability of the treatment, assessed after a three-year curing period, suggested that the sorbent continued to be effective in reducing PFAAs in leachates, thus showing the potential of this sorbent to hinder further environmental contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Bräunig
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102 QLD, Australia.
| | - Christine Baduel
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102 QLD, Australia
| | - Craig M Barnes
- Airservices Australia, 25 Constitution Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Jochen F Mueller
- Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences, The University of Queensland, 20 Cornwall Street, Woolloongabba, 4102 QLD, Australia
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35
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Shahabi Nejad M, Soltani Nejad H, Arabnejad S, Sheibani H. Enhanced adsorption of perfluorooctanoic acid using functionalized imidazolium iodide ionic
liquid‐based
poly (glycidyl methacrylate). J Appl Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/app.50962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Saeid Arabnejad
- Department of Chemistry Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Kerman Iran
- Research and Development R&D of Dandehkar Company Kerman Iran
| | - Hassan Sheibani
- Department of Chemistry Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman Kerman Iran
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36
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McGregor R, Zhao Y. The in situ treatment of TCE and PFAS in groundwater within a silty sand aquifer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/rem.21675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rick McGregor
- InSitu Remediation Services Ltd St George Ontario Canada
| | - Ye Zhao
- InSitu Remediation Services Ltd St George Ontario Canada
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37
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Sima MW, Jaffé PR. A critical review of modeling Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the soil-water environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143793. [PMID: 33303199 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Due to their health effects and the recalcitrant nature of their CF bonds, Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are widely investigated for their distribution, remediation, and toxicology in ecosystems. However, very few studies have focused on modeling PFAS in the soil-water environment. In this review, we summarized the recent development in PFAS modeling for various chemical, physical, and biological processes, including sorption, volatilization, degradation, bioaccumulation, and transport. PFAS sorption is kinetic in nature with sorption equilibrium commonly quantified by either a linear, the Freundlich, or the Langmuir isotherms. Volatilization of PFAS depends on carbon chain length and ionization status and has been simulated by a two-layer diffusion process across the air water interface. First-order kinetics is commonly used for physical, chemical, and biological degradation processes. Uptake by plants and other biota can be passive and/or active. As surfactants, PFAS have a tendency to be sorbed or concentrated on air-water or non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL)-water interfaces, where the same three isotherms for soil sorption are adopted. PFAS transport in the soil-water environment is simulated by solving the convection-dispersion equation (CDE) that is coupled to PFAS sorption, phase transfer, as well as physical, chemical, and biological transformations. As the physicochemical properties and concentration vary greatly among the potentially thousands of PFAS species in the environment, systematic efforts are needed to identify models and model parameters to simulate their fate, transport, and response to remediation techniques. Since many process formulations are empirical in nature, mechanistic approaches are needed to further the understanding of PFAS-soil-water-plant interactions so that the model parameters are less site dependent and more predictive in simulating PFAS remediation efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Sima
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Peter R Jaffé
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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38
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Senevirathna STMLD, Mahinroosta R, Li M, KrishnaPillai K. In situ soil flushing to remediate confined soil contaminated with PFOS- an innovative solution for emerging environmental issue. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 262:127606. [PMID: 32805650 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
PerFluoroOctane Sulfonate (PFOS), is a toxic anthropogenic chemical that has been produced and gradually released into the environment for the past seven decades. An accurate audit of global PFOS contamination and contaminated sites are yet to be published. The available technologies to remediate PFOS contaminated soil are limited and often basic strategies such as temporary soil containment are adopted as immediate measures to manage the contaminated sites. In this study, the in situ soil flushing technique is assessed for its capacity to remediate soil contaminated with PFOS. A complete treatment process with several operation units was proposed such as solvent flushing, ground water pumping, solvent recovery and water treatment for PFOS. Potential solvents were identified and it was observed that more than 98% PFOS removal could be attained by flushing with five bed volumes of 50% ethanol. In addition, the study investigated thirteen commercially available filter materials and identified PFA694E, K6362, MP 62, Amberlite IRA 67 and Dowexoptopore V493 as suitable to eliminate PFOS with competitive PFOS adsorption characteristics. The proposed method can be recommended to remediate PFOS in recognised contaminated soils, such as those at defence sites. Furthermore, a contaminated site with favourable characteristics to implement the suggested method was identified in Australia and described in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- S T M L D Senevirathna
- CSU Engineering, Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW, Australia; Institute of Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University, Australia.
| | - Reza Mahinroosta
- CSU Engineering, Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW, Australia; Institute of Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University, Australia
| | - Miao Li
- CSU Engineering, Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW, Australia; Institute of Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University, Australia
| | - Karthika KrishnaPillai
- CSU Engineering, Faculty of Business, Justice and Behavioural Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, NSW, Australia; Institute of Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University, Australia
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39
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Cao H, Zhang W, Wang C, Liang Y. Sonochemical degradation of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances - A review. ULTRASONICS SONOCHEMISTRY 2020; 69:105245. [PMID: 32702636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have received considerable attention from environmental scientists and engineers because of their stability and widespread. Sonochemical process has been widely used in the environmental field to remove pollutants due to its advantages in terms of operational simplicity, no secondary pollutant formation and safety. Currently, many studies have reported sonochemical degradation of various PFAS in laboratory settings and showed excellent removal potential. This article reviewed the effects of different power densities, ultrasonic frequencies, temperatures, atmosphere conditions, additives, and initial concentration and chemical properties of PFAS on the sonochemical degradation of PFAS. Sonochemical methods combined with conventional techniques for PFAS removal were elaborated as well. Additionally, this article discussed the challenges and prospects of using sonochemical approaches for PFAS remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Cao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China; Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Weilan Zhang
- Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Cuiping Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China.
| | - Yanna Liang
- Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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40
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Meegoda JN, Kewalramani JA, Li B, Marsh RW. A Review of the Applications, Environmental Release, and Remediation Technologies of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E8117. [PMID: 33153160 PMCID: PMC7663283 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are pollutants that have demonstrated a high level of environmental persistence and are very difficult to remediate. As the body of literature on their environmental effects has increased, so has regulatory and research scrutiny. The widespread usage of PFAS in industrial applications and consumer products, complicated by their environmental release, mobility, fate, and transport, have resulted in multiple exposure routes for humans. Furthermore, low screening levels and stringent regulatory standards that vary by state introduce considerable uncertainty and potential costs in the environmental management of PFAS. The recalcitrant nature of PFAS render their removal difficult, but existing and emerging technologies can be leveraged to destroy or sequester PFAS in a variety of environmental matrices. Additionally, new research on PFAS remediation technologies has emerged to address the efficiency, costs, and other shortcomings of existing remediation methods. Further research on the impact of field parameters such as secondary water quality effects, the presence of co-contaminants and emerging PFAS, reaction mechanisms, defluorination yields, and the decomposition products of treatment technologies is needed to fully evaluate these emerging technologies, and industry attention should focus on treatment train approaches to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay N. Meegoda
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA;
| | - Jitendra A. Kewalramani
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA;
| | - Brian Li
- Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA;
| | - Richard W. Marsh
- Department of Chemical and Material Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA;
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41
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Roesch P, Vogel C, Simon FG. Reductive Defluorination and Mechanochemical Decomposition of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs): From Present Knowledge to Future Remediation Concepts. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E7242. [PMID: 33023008 PMCID: PMC7578953 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17197242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have emerged as worldwide environmental contaminants, calling out for sophisticated treatment, decomposition and remediation strategies. In order to mineralize PFAS pollutants, the incineration of contaminated material is a state-of-the-art process, but more cost-effective and sustainable technologies are inevitable for the future. Within this review, various methods for the reductive defluorination of PFASs were inspected. In addition to this, the role of mechanochemistry is highlighted with regard to its major potential in reductive defluorination reactions and degradation of pollutants. In order to get a comprehensive understanding of the involved reactions, their mechanistic pathways are pointed out. Comparisons between existing PFAS decomposition reactions and reductive approaches are discussed in detail, regarding their applicability in possible remediation processes. This article provides a solid overview of the most recent research methods and offers guidelines for future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Roesch
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Division 4.3 Contaminant Transfer and Environmental Technologies, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany;
| | | | - Franz-Georg Simon
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Division 4.3 Contaminant Transfer and Environmental Technologies, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin, Germany;
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42
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Lv K, Gao W, Meng L, Xue Q, Tian H, Wang Y, Jiang G. Phototransformation of perfluorooctane sulfonamide on natural clay minerals: A likely source of short chain perfluorocarboxylic acids. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 392:122354. [PMID: 32097861 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a new phototransformation pathway for perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA) and underlying degradation mechanisms are described. Phototransformation of FOSA in a natural clay mineral (montmorillonite) suspension was compared to that in an aqueous solution. Results showed that the presence of montmorillonite can significantly promote the transformation of FOSA to perfluocarboxylic acids (increasing rate). The phototransformation reaction was found to be initiated by the activation of adsorbed oxygen molecules on the surface of montmorillonite, which generate superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals. Hydroxyl radicals can then attack FOSA adsorbed onto the surface of montmorillonite, promoting the transformation process. In this reaction, clay minerals played a dual role: providing hydroxyl radicals and concentrating FOSA on their surfaces. This helped to promote the contact and reaction between FOSA and hydroxyl radicals. This study provides the first evidence that heterogeneous oxidation of FOSA at the surface of natural clay minerals may act as an important source of perfluocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), especially short chain PFCAs (i.e. trifluoroacetic acid, TFA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Lv
- Environment Research Institute, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Wei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Lingyi Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Qiao Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Haoting Tian
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, College of Resource and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi, 276005, China.
| | - Yawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Guibin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
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43
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McGregor R. Six pilot‐scale studies evaluating the in situ treatment of PFAS in groundwater. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/rem.21653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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44
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Fulong CRP, Guardian MGE, Aga DS, Cook TR. A Self-Assembled Iron(II) Metallacage as a Trap for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water. Inorg Chem 2020; 59:6697-6708. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b03405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cressa Ria P. Fulong
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Mary Grace E. Guardian
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Diana S. Aga
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Timothy R. Cook
- Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
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45
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Filho AHDS, de Souza GLC. Examining the degradation of environmentally-daunting per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances from a fundamental chemical perspective. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:17659-17667. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cp02445g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In this work, ground and excited-state properties were used as descriptors for probing mechanisms as well as to assess potential alternatives for tackling the elimination of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel L. C. de Souza
- Departamento de Química
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso
- Cuiabá
- Brazil
- Department of Chemistry
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46
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Bao Y, Huang J, Cagnetta G, Yu G. Removal of F-53B as PFOS alternative in chrome plating wastewater by UV/Sulfite reduction. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 163:114907. [PMID: 31369921 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Chrome mist suppressants are key chemicals used in the chrome plating industry to reduce exposure of workers by inhalation to airborne chromic acid pollution. Perfluoroalkyl sulfonated compounds are excellent mist suppressants, thanks to their chemical stability and surface activity. Therefore, despite mounting evidence for their persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity, it is likely that such chemicals will continue to be used for the foreseeable future because of their importance and lack of alternatives. The present study is aimed at assessing the feasibility of advanced reduction as an effective technology to treat chrome plating industry wastewater. In particular, wastewater containing a chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (i.e. F-53B), an alternative to perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) used to prepare chrome mist suppressant in China, was treated by UV-activated sulfite. Results demonstrates that in ultrapure water F-53B can be easily degraded within 1 min-much faster than PFOS. Stoichiometric fluoride recovery was also achieved, confirming significant defluorination of the pollutant. Such superior reducibility was due to the presence of chlorine atoms, as corroborated by quantum chemical calculations. F-53B degradation was also achieved in chrome plating industrial wastewater, which yielded results were slower than those achieved in the laboratory nonetheless obtained complete abatement within 60 min. These results suggest that the proposed advanced reduction process is one of the safest options to control PFAS discharge in the environment and reduce the related risks to ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixiang Bao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKJLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jun Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKJLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Giovanni Cagnetta
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKJLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Gang Yu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKJLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control (BKLEOC), School of Environment, POPs Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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47
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García RA, Chiaia-Hernández AC, Lara-Martin PA, Loos M, Hollender J, Oetjen K, Higgins CP, Field JA. Suspect Screening of Hydrocarbon Surfactants in AFFFs and AFFF-Contaminated Groundwater by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:8068-8077. [PMID: 31269393 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) are proprietary mixtures containing hydrocarbon surfactants and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) that are used to extinguish hydrocarbon-based fuel fires. There is limited information on hydrocarbon surfactants in AFFFs and AFFF-contaminated groundwater even though hydrocarbon surfactants are more abundant (5-10% w/w) than PFASs (0.9-1.5% w/w) in AFFFs. Eight commercial AFFFs manufactured between 1988 and 2012 and 10 AFFF-contaminated groundwaters collected from near source zones of fire-fighter training areas were analyzed for suspect hydrocarbon surfactants by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A suspect list and a homologous series detection computational tool, enviMass, were combined to screen for hydrocarbon surfactants. Nine classes of hydrocarbon surfactants were detected in AFFFs including octylphenol polyethoxylates, linear alcohol ethoxylates, ethoxylated cocoamines, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl amido dipropionates, linear alkyl benzenesulfonates, alkyl sulfates, and polyethylene glycols. Of those, six were also found in groundwater along with diethanolamines and alkyl amido betaines, which were not found in the eight archived AFFFs. This indicates that although aerobically biodegradable, hydrocarbon surfactants likely persist in groundwater due to anaerobic aquifer conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first screening for hydrocarbon surfactants in AFFFs and in AFFF-contaminated groundwater.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aurea C Chiaia-Hernández
- Institute of Geography and Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research , University of Bern , Bern , Switzerland
| | - Pablo A Lara-Martin
- Department of Physical Chemistry , University of Cadiz, Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences , Campus Rio San Pedro, CEI-MAR, Puerto Real , 11510 Cadiz , Spain
| | | | - Juliane Hollender
- Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology , Eawag , 8600 Dübendorf , Switzerland
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics (IBP) , ETH Zurich , 8092 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - Karl Oetjen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Colorado School of Mines , Golden , Colorado 80401 , United States
| | - Christopher P Higgins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Colorado School of Mines , Golden , Colorado 80401 , United States
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Bentel MJ, Yu Y, Xu L, Li Z, Wong BM, Men Y, Liu J. Defluorination of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) with Hydrated Electrons: Structural Dependence and Implications to PFAS Remediation and Management. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:3718-3728. [PMID: 30874441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates critical structure-reactivity relationships within 34 representative per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) undergoing defluorination with UV-generated hydrated electrons. While C nF2 n+1-COO- with variable fluoroalkyl chain lengths ( n = 2 to 10) exhibited a similar rate and extent of parent compound decay and defluorination, the reactions of telomeric C nF2 n+1-CH2CH2-COO- and C nF2 n+1-SO3- showed an apparent dependence on the length of the fluoroalkyl chain. Cross comparison of experimental results, including different rates of decay and defluorination of specific PFAS categories, the incomplete defluorination from most PFAS structures, and the surprising 100% defluorination from CF3COO-, leads to the elucidation of new mechanistic insights into PFAS degradation. Theoretical calculations on the C-F bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of all PFAS structures reveal strong relationships among (i) the rate and extent of decay and defluorination, (ii) head functional groups, (iii) fluoroalkyl chain length, and (iv) the position and number of C-F bonds with low BDEs. These relationships are further supported by the spontaneous cleavage of specific bonds during calculated geometry optimization of PFAS structures bearing one extra electron, and by the product analyses with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Multiple reaction pathways, including H/F exchange, dissociation of terminal functional groups, and decarboxylation-triggered HF elimination and hydrolysis, result in the formation of variable defluorination products. The selectivity and ease of C-F bond cleavage highly depends on molecular structures. These findings provide critical information for developing PFAS treatment processes and technologies to destruct a wide scope of PFAS pollutants and for designing fluorochemical formulations to avoid releasing recalcitrant PFASs into the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Bentel
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering and ‡Materials Science & Engineering Program , University of California , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| | - Yaochun Yu
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering , ∥Metabolomics Lab of Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center , and ⊥Institute for Genomic Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Lihua Xu
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering and ‡Materials Science & Engineering Program , University of California , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| | | | - Bryan M Wong
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering and ‡Materials Science & Engineering Program , University of California , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| | - Yujie Men
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering , ∥Metabolomics Lab of Roy J. Carver Biotechnology Center , and ⊥Institute for Genomic Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Jinyong Liu
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering and ‡Materials Science & Engineering Program , University of California , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
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Zhang C, Hopkins ZR, McCord J, Strynar MJ, Knappe DRU. Fate of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Ether Acids in the Total Oxidizable Precursor Assay and Implications for the Analysis of Impacted Water. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2019; 6:662-668. [PMID: 31909080 PMCID: PMC6944312 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.9b00525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used anthropogenic chemicals. The PFAS class includes almost 5000 registered compounds, but analytical methods are lacking for most PFASs. The total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay was developed to indirectly quantify unknown PFASs that are precursors to commonly measured perfluoroalkyl acids. To understand the behavior of recently identified per- and polyfluoroalkyl ether acids (PFEAs), including fluorinated replacements and manufacturing byproducts, we determined the fate of 15 PFEAs in the TOP assay. Ten perfluoroalkyl ether acids and a chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether acid (F-53B) were stable in the TOP assay and represent terminal products that are likely as persistent as historically used PFASs. Adding perfluoroalkyl ether acids and F-53B to the target analyte list for the TOP assay is recommended to capture a higher percentage of the total PFAS concentration in environmental samples. In contrast, polyfluoroalkyl ether acids with a -O-CFH- moiety were oxidized, typically to products that could not be identified by liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry. Application of the TOP assay in its proposed enhanced form revealed high levels of PFEAs, the presence of precursors that form perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, and the absence of precursors that form PFEAs in surface water impacted by PFAS-containing wastewater discharges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuhui Zhang
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Zachary R Hopkins
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - James McCord
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Mark J Strynar
- National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711, United States
| | - Detlef R U Knappe
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
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