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Zhao X, Liu X, Zhang Z, Ren W, Lin C, He M, Ouyang W. Mechanochemical remediation of contaminated soil: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174117. [PMID: 38908592 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Mechanochemical techniques have been garnering growing attention in remediation of contaminated soil. This paper summarizes the performance, mechanism, influential factors, and environmental impacts of mechanochemical remediation (MCR) for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contaminated soil and heavy metal(loid) s (HMs) contaminated soil. Firstly, in contrast to other technologies, MCR can achieve desirable treatment of POPs, HMs, and co-contaminated soil, especially with high-concentration pollutants. Secondly, POPs undergo mineralization via interaction with mechanically activated substances, where aromatic and aliphatic pollutants in soil may go through varied degradation routes; inorganic pollutants can be firmly combined with soil particles by fragmentation and agglomeration induced by mechanical power, during which additives may enhance the combination but their contact with anionic metal(loid)s may be partially suppressed. Thirdly, the effect of MCR primarily hinges on types of milling systems, the accumulation of mechanical energy, and the use of reagents, which is basically regulated through operating parameters: rotation speed, ball-to-powder ratio, reagent-to-soil ratio, milling time, and soil treatment capacity; minerals like clay, metal oxides, and sand in soil itself are feasible reagents for remediation, and alien additives play a crucial role in synergist and detoxification; additionally, various physicochemical properties of soil might influence the mechanochemical effect to varying degrees, yet the key influential performance and mechanism remain unclear and require further investigation. Concerning the assessment of soil after treatment, attention needs to be paid to soil properties, toxicity of POPs' intermediates and leaching HMs, and long-term appraisement, particularly with the introduction of aggressive additives into the system. Finally, proposals for current issues and forthcoming advancements in this domain are enumerated in items. This review provides valuable insight into mechanochemical approaches for performing more effective and eco-friendly remediation on contaminated soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiwang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xitao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Zhenguo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wenbo Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunye Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Mengchang He
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wei Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Advanced Interdisciplinary Institute of Environment and Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
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2
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Patch D, O'Connor N, Ahmed E, Houtz E, Bentel M, Ross I, Scott J, Koch I, Weber K. Advancing PFAS characterization: Development and optimization of a UV-H 2O 2-TOP assay for improved PFCA chain length preservation and organic matter tolerance. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174079. [PMID: 38908604 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
As per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) infiltrate the environment via industrial, commercial, and domestic sources, the demand for robust, cost-effective, and straightforward analytical assays intensifies to enhance PFAS characterization and quantification. To address this demand, this study introduces a novel UV-H2O2-TOP assay, identifying optimal parameters such as pH (5-9), oxidant concentration (500 mM H2O2), activation rate (63 mM H2O2 h-1), and an acceptable total organic carbon (TOC) limit (~1000 mg/L TOC) to achieve maximum PFAA precursor conversion. Additional work was performed further optimizing the UV-TOP assay, by confirming its superiority to heat activation, identifying the effectiveness of different persulfate salts, and investigating different concentrations of sodium persulfate and sodium hydroxide at a 1:2.5 ratio on PFCA yield. Our investigation concluded by applying the UV-H2O2-TOP assay, using sodium persulfate as the TOP assay oxidant, to 6:2 FTS and five different AFFF samples. High-resolution mass spectrometry and an expanded analytical suite support sample analysis, facilitating direct quantification of ultra-short chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) and common fluorotelomer compounds including 5:3/5:1:2 fluorotelomer betaine and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamido betaine. Results highlight several advantages of this tandem UV-activated method, including enhanced preservation of perfluoroalkyl chains (post-oxidation of 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonate resulted in 28 % PFHpA, 47 % PFHxA, 25 % C3-C5 PFCA), capacity to handle high TOC limits (1000 mg/L TOC), and ability to incorporate higher persulfate concentrations in a single oxidation cycle.
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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
| | - Ellie Ahmed
- Environmental Sciences Group, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, ON K7K 7B4, Canada
| | - Erika Houtz
- ECT2, 125 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103, United States of America
| | - Michael Bentel
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, United States of America
| | - Ian Ross
- CDM Smith, 75 State St #701, Boston, MA 02109, United States of America
| | - 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
| | - 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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Soltanian M, Gitipour S, Baghdadi M, Rtimi S. PFOA-contaminated soil remediation: a comprehensive review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024:10.1007/s11356-024-34516-y. [PMID: 39088169 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34516-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Soil and groundwater contamination has been raised as a concern due to the capability of posing a risk to human health and ecology, especially in facing highly toxic and emerging pollutants. Because of the prevalent usage of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in industrial and production processes, and subsequently the extent of sites contaminated with these pollutants, cleaning up PFOA polluted sites is paramount. This research provides a review of remediation approaches that have been used, and nine remediation techniques were reviewed under physical, chemical, and biological approaches categorization. As the pollutant specifications, environmental implications, and adverse ecological effects of remediation procedures should be considered in the analysis and evaluation of remediation approaches, unlike previous research that considered a couple of PFAS pollutants and generally dealt with technical issues, in this study, the benefits, drawbacks, and possible environmental and ecological adverse effects of PFOA-contaminated site remediation also were discussed. In the end, in addition to providing sufficient and applicable understanding by comprehensively considering all aspects and field-scale challenges and obstacles, knowledge gaps have been found and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Soltanian
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Saeid Gitipour
- Faculty of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Majid Baghdadi
- Faculty of Environment, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sami Rtimi
- Global Institute for Water Environment and Health, 1201, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Liu L, Liu C, Fu R, Nie F, Zuo W, Tian Y, Zhang J. Full-chain analysis on emerging contaminants in soil: Source, migration and remediation. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 363:142854. [PMID: 39019170 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
Emerging contaminants (ECs) are gaining attention due to their prevalence and potential negative impacts on the environment and human health. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the status and trends of soil pollution caused by ECs, focusing on their sources, migration pathways, and environmental implications. Significant ECs, including plastics, synthetic polymers, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, plasticizers, and flame retardants, are identified due to their widespread use and toxicity. Their presence in soil is attributed to agricultural activities, urban waste, and wastewater irrigation. The review explores both horizontal and vertical migration pathways, with factors such as soil type, organic matter content, and moisture levels influencing their distribution. Understanding the behavior of ECs in soil is critical to mitigating their long-term risks and developing effective soil remediation strategies. The paper also examines the advantages and disadvantages of in situ and ex situ treatment approaches for ECs, highlighting optimal physical, chemical, and biological treatment conditions. These findings provide a fundamental basis for addressing the challenges and governance of soil pollution induced by ECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Chunrui Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, No. 600 Changjiang Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - RunZe Fu
- Queen Mary School Hainan, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Lingshui Le'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone, Hainan Province, 016000, China
| | - Fandi Nie
- Liaozhong District No. 1 Senior High School, No.139, Zhengfu Road, Liaozhong District, Shenyang, 110000, China
| | - Wei Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Yu Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment (SKLUWRE), School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
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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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Zhang Z, Mao L, Liu X, Zhao X, Lin C, He M, Ouyang W. Mechanochemical degradation performance of lindane in different types of soils: The effects of soil properties and elemental components. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170422. [PMID: 38290674 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Although mechanochemical remediation of organic-contaminated soil has received substantial attention in recent years, the effects of soil properties on soil remediation performance are not clear. In this work, the properties and elemental components of 16 soils were tested, and the mechanochemical degradation performance of lindane in these soils was investigated through experiments. Most importantly, the relationships between soil variables and the mechanochemical degradation rates of lindane in the additive-free and CaO systems were elucidated. The results showed that the mechanochemical degradation efficiencies of lindane in the 16 soils were significantly different without additives, with a range of 31.0 %-97.2 % after 4 h. The mechanochemical degradation rates of lindane in the 16 soils varied from 0.7 h-1 to 15 h-1 after the addition of 9 % CaO. Correlation analysis, redundancy analysis and the partial least squares path modeling results clearly showed that the main factors affecting the reaction rate (k1) without additives were organic matter (-) > clay (+) > bound water (-) > Si (+). After the addition of 9 % CaO, the order in which the main factors affected the reaction rate (k2) was organic matter (-) > bound water (-) > Ti/Fe/Al (-) > pH (+) > clay (+). The established and corrected multiple nonlinear regression equations can be used to accurately predict the mechanochemical degradation performance of hexachlorocyclohexanes in actual soils with and without additives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenguo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Lulu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xitao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Xiwang Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunye Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Mengchang He
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wei Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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Guo R, Li L, Zhao Z, Zhang S. Enhanced piezoelectric catalysis of BaTiO 3 by ZVAl for mechanochemical defluorination of PFOA: Promotion of electron transfer. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 465:133040. [PMID: 38029588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.133040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Mechanochemical (MC) destruction of pollutants is effective; however, the emerging electron transfer mechanism is ambiguous owing to a lack of systematic evaluation. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the contribution of electrons to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) defluorination during MC process. A synergistic effect was obtained by activating BaTiO3 to generate piezoelectrons and applying zero-valence aluminum (ZVAl) to facilitate electron transfer, with 95.66% PFOA defluorination and reaction time decreasing from 6 h to 3 h. The mechanism of piezoelectric catalysis of the BaTiO3/ZVAl system was further investigated through kinetic analyses and intersystem comparisons. The major contribution of piezo-excited electrons was revealed through probe detection and quantitative determination. A positive correlation between electron generation and PFOA defluorination was ascertained, and the calculation of the electron utilization ratio revealed an electron transfer mechanism. The detached fluorides were confirmed to be bonded directly to the additives. Furthermore, PFOA decomposition was identified as a cyclical process with constant dissociation of the CF2 groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoning Guo
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - Li Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - Zhiwei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - Sai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environment in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China.
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Sun R, Babalol S, Ni R, Dolatabad AA, Cao J, Xiao F. Efficient and fast remediation of soil contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by high-frequency heating. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 463:132660. [PMID: 37898088 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
This study presents a novel thermal technology (high-frequency heating, HFH) for the decontamination of soil containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs). Ultra-fast degradation of short-chain PFAS, long-chain homologs, precursors, legacy PFAS, emerging PFAS was achieved in a matter of minutes. The concentrations of PFAS and the soil type had a negligible impact on degradation efficiency, possibly due to the ultra-fast degradation rate overwhelming potential differences. Under the current HFH experiment setup, we achieved near-complete degradation (e.g., >99.9%) after 1 min for perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids and perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acids and 2 min for perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids. Polyfluoroalkyl precursors in AFFFs were found to degrade completely within 1 min of HFH; no residual cationic, zwitterionic, anionic, or non-ionic intermediate products were detected following the treatment. The gaseous byproducts were considered. Most of gaseous organofluorine products of PFAS at low-and-moderate temperatures disappeared when temperatures reached 890 °C, which is in the temperature zone of HFH. For the first time, we demonstrated minimal loss of PFAS in water during the boiling process, indicating a low risk of PFAS entering the atmosphere with the water vapor. The findings highlight HFH its potential as a promising remediation tool for PFAS-contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runze Sun
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Samuel Babalol
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Ruichong Ni
- Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of North Dakota, 243 Centennial Drive Stop 8155, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA
| | - Alireza Arhami Dolatabad
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Jiefei Cao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Feng Xiao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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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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10
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Ganbat N, Hamdi FM, Ibrar I, Altaee A, Alsaka L, Samal AK, Zhou J, Hawari AH. Iron slag permeable reactive barrier for PFOA removal by the electrokinetic process. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 460:132360. [PMID: 37657326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy of the Standalone Electrokinetic (EK) process in soil PFAS removal is negligible, primarily due to the intersecting mechanisms of electromigration and electroosmosis transportation. Consequently, the redistribution of PFAS across the soil matrix occurs, hampering effective remediation efforts. Permeable reactive barrier (PRB) has been used to capture contaminants and extract them at the end of the EK process. This study conducted laboratory-scale tests to evaluate the feasibility of the iron slag PRB enhanced-EK process in conjunction with Sodium Cholate (NaC) biosurfactant as a cost-effective and sustainable method for removing PFOA from the soil. A 2 cm iron slag-based PRB with a pH of 9.5, obtained from the steel-making industry, was strategically embedded in the middle of the EK reactors to capture PFOA within the soil. The main component of the slag, iron oxide, exhibited significant adsorption capacity for PFOA contamination. The laboratory-scale tests were conducted over two weeks, revealing a PFOA removal rate of more than 79% in the slag/activated carbon PRB-EK test with NaC enhancement and 70% PFOA removal in the slag/activated carbon PRB-EK without NaC. By extending the duration of the slag/AC PRB-EK test with NaC enhancement to three weeks, the PFOA removal rate increased to 94.09%, with the slag/AC PRB capturing over 87% of the initial PFOA concentration of 10 mg/L. The specific energy required for soil decontamination by the EK process was determined to be 0.15 kWh/kg. The outcomes of this study confirm the feasibility of utilizing iron slag waste in the EK process to capture PFOA contaminants, offering a sustainable approach to soil decontamination. Combining iron slag PRB and NaC biosurfactant provides a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for efficient PFOA removal from soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namuun Ganbat
- Centre for Green Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Faris M Hamdi
- Centre for Green Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Ibrar Ibrar
- Centre for Green Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Ali Altaee
- Centre for Green Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Australia.
| | - Lilyan Alsaka
- Centre for Green Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Akshaya K Samal
- Centre for Nano and Material Sciences, Jain University, Ramanagara, Bangalore 562 112, Karnataka, India
| | - John Zhou
- Centre for Green Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Australia
| | - Alaa H Hawari
- Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Qatar University, PO Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
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Al Amin M, Luo Y, Shi F, Yu L, Liu Y, Nolan A, Awoyemi OS, Megharaj M, Naidu R, Fang C. A modified TOP assay to detect per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) and soil. Front Chem 2023; 11:1141182. [PMID: 37881243 PMCID: PMC10595011 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1141182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Total oxidisable precursor (TOP) assay can oxidise some per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and their precursors, most of which cannot be quantitatively detected so far, and convert them to detectable PFASs, such as perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs). However, the conversion is constrained by the complexity of the target samples, including co-existent organics, unknown PFAS precursors, and background. In this study, the TOP assay is modified to increase the oxidation and conversion efficiency by changing the initial concentration of target sample, increasing oxidising doses, time, temperature, etc. The modified TOP assay is applied to test several aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) and a PFAS-contaminated soil extract. The sum concentrations of the detectable PFASs are increased by up to ∼534× in the AFFF samples and ∼7× in the PFAS-contaminated soil extract. The detectable fluorotelomer sulfonate (FTS, such as 6:2/8:2 FTS) is accounted as an oxidation indicator to monitor the oxidation and conversion progress of the oxidisable PFASs precursors to the detectable PFASs. Overall, the modified TOP assay could be an appropriate method for identifying missing PFASs mass in complex matrices by detecting the PFASs precursors effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Al Amin
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Yunlong Luo
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Feng Shi
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Linbo Yu
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Yanju Liu
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Olalekan Simon Awoyemi
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Mallavarapu Megharaj
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Ravi Naidu
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Cheng Fang
- Global Centre for Environmental Remediation (GCER), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
- CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
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12
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Zhang Z, Zhou Z, Liu X, Zhang H, Xu H, Lin C, He M, Ouyang W. Mechanochemical remediation of lindane-contaminated soils assisted by CaO: Performance, mechanism and overall assessment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 458:131985. [PMID: 37413802 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Soil contamination caused by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) has been a worldwide concern for decades. With lindane-contaminated soil as the target, a mechanochemical method assisted by CaO was comprehensively evaluated in terms of its remediation performance, degradation mechanism and overall assessment. The mechanochemical degradation performance of lindane in cinnamon soil or kaolin was determined under different additives, lindane concentrations and milling conditions. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazinyl free radical (DPPH•) and electron spin resonance (ESR) tests evidenced that the degradation of lindane in soil was caused mainly by the mechanical activation of CaO to produce free electrons (e-) and the alkalinity of the generated Ca(OH)2. Dehydrochlorination or dechlorination by elimination, alkaline hydrolysis, hydrogenolysis and the subsequent carbonization were the main degradation pathways of lindane in soil. The main final products included monochlorobenzene, carbon substances and methane. The mechanochemical method with CaO was proved to also efficiently degrade lindane in three other soils and other hexachlorocyclohexane isomers and POPs in soil. The soil properties and soil toxicity after remediation were assessed. This work presents a relatively clear discussion of various aspects of the mechanochemical remediation of lindane-contaminated soil assisted by CaO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenguo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhou Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; North China Power Engineering CO., Ltd of China Power Engineering Group, Beijing 100120, China
| | - Xitao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hengpu Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunye Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Mengchang He
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Wei Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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13
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Mojiri A, Zhou JL, Ozaki N, KarimiDermani B, Razmi E, Kasmuri N. Occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic environments and their removal by advanced oxidation processes. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 330:138666. [PMID: 37068615 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), one of the main categories of emerging contaminants, are a family of fluorinated organic compounds of anthropogenic origin. PFAS can endanger the environment and human health because of their wide application in industries, long-term persistence, unique properties, and bioaccumulation potential. This study sought to explain the accumulation of different PFAS in water bodies. In aquatic environments, PFAS concentrations range extensively from <0.03 (groundwater; Melbourne, Australia) to 51,000 ng/L (Groundwater, Sweden). Additionally, bioaccumulation of PFAS in fish and water biota has been stated to range from 0.2 (Burbot, Lake Vättern, Sweden) to 13,900 ng/g (Bluegill samples, U.S.). Recently, studies have focused on PFAS removal from aqueous solutions; one promising technique is advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), including microwaves, ultrasound, ozonation, photocatalysis, UV, electrochemical oxidation, the Fenton process, and hydrogen peroxide-based and sulfate radical-based systems. The removal efficiency of PFAS ranges from 3% (for MW) to 100% for UV/sulfate radical as a hybrid reactor. Therefore, a hybrid reactor can be used to efficiently degrade and remove PFAS. Developing novel, efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable AOPs for PFAS degradation in water treatment systems is a critical area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Mojiri
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, 739-8527, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - John L Zhou
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Noriatsu Ozaki
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashihiroshima, 739-8527, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Bahareh KarimiDermani
- Department of Geological Sciences, Hydrogeology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35487, USA
| | - Elham Razmi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Norhafezah Kasmuri
- School of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, 40450, Selangor, Malaysia
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14
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Gobindlal K, Shields E, Whitehill A, Weber CC, Sperry J. Mechanochemical destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aqueous film-forming foams and contaminated soil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. ADVANCES 2023; 2:982-989. [PMID: 37650024 PMCID: PMC10462926 DOI: 10.1039/d3va00099k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic chemicals of concern that exhibit extreme persistence within the environment and possess physicochemical properties that are resistant to targeted degradation. Comprising substantial concentrations of PFASs, aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) present a major exposure pathway to the environment having been applied to land at firefighting-training sites globally for decades. This has led to significant contamination of environmental media. Herein, we demonstrate that mechanochemical destruction (MCD) is an effective method for the destruction of PFASs in an AFFF concentrate and an authentic sample of PFAS-contaminated soil derived from a decommissioned firefighting training facility. Both targeted analysis and non-targeted analysis were used in this study to evaluate the degradation of PFASs in complex substrates during MCD treatment. Destruction efficiencies of target PFAS subgroups ranged from 99.88% to 100%. The only additive employed for MCD treatment was quartz sand, which was used only for the liquid AFFF sample, with no additives required for the destruction of PFASs in the contaminated soil. This confirms the viability of MCD for both the remediation of PFAS-contaminated land and the destruction of stockpiled AFFFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kapish Gobindlal
- Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Environmental Decontamination (NZ) Limited, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Erin Shields
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew Whitehill
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cameron C Weber
- Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Sperry
- Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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15
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Li L, Guo R, Gao J, Liu J, Zhao Z, Sheng X, Fan J, Cui F. Insight into mechanochemical destruction of PFOA by BaTiO 3: An electron-dominated reduction process. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 450:131028. [PMID: 36857827 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a representative persistent organic pollutant and its disposal by mechanochemical (MC) technology emerges in recent years. However, degradation mechanism of PFOA especially rupture of C-F bonds during MC process is still unclear. Therefore, we innovatively employed barium titanate as co-milling reagent in MC system to disclose an electron-dominated reduction process. By stimulating piezoelectric effect of BaTiO3 under MC impact, free electrons were generated. The results implied more than 95.00% degradation and 60.00% defluorination efficiency were obtained after 6 h' ball milling. DPPH• was used as probe to confirm the existence of piezo-excited electrons, which were further verified to be major reactive species by atmosphere experiments. Thus, PFOA destruction was dominated by reduction process, characterizing by breakage of C-F bonds induced by electrons. Accordingly, the fate of organic fluorides was explored and BaF2 was identified as final product. The cleavage of carboxyl group initiated PFOA decomposition, following by successive removal of CF2 groups and elimination of F-. Moreover, the practical experiments and reusable trials implied promising application of this method. Overall, this paper provides a novel perspective for reductive decomposition of PFOA by MC technology and reveals the major role of electrons during reaction process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - Ruoning Guo
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - Jie Gao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Military Facilities, Army Logistics Academy, Chongqing 401311, PR China
| | - Zhiwei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China.
| | - Xin Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
| | - JunYu Fan
- Department of Military Facilities, Army Logistics Academy, Chongqing 401311, PR China
| | - Fuyi Cui
- Key Laboratory of Eco-environments in Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, PR China
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16
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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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17
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Hu J, Qiu Y, Gu B, Yao N, Lou Z, Cheng Z, Zhang X, Yu J. Enhancement mechanism of magnetite on the ball-milling destruction of perfluorooctane sulfonate by iron. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 319:121014. [PMID: 36608727 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121014] [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: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Zero-valent iron (Fe) is commonly employed as an additive for the mechanochemical destruction (MCD) of organic pollutants. The poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (e.g., perfluorooctane sulfonate, PFOS) are a class of toxic environmental pollutants that are difficult to effectively degrade due to their thermodynamic and chemical stability. In this study, magnetite (Fe3O4) was applied to improve the milling performance of Fe to PFOS and its promoting mechanisms were emphatically explored. The desulfurization rate was in ahead of the defluorination rate because the C-S bond is less stable than the C-F bonds in PFOS. Fe3O4 had an excellent reinforcement effect on the milling performance of Fe, which was mainly through accelerating the electron transfer as a conductor, reacting with Fe to produce FeO, and facilitating the formation of HO●. During the MCD of PFOS with Fe/Fe3O4 as an additive, HO● played a dominant role in the defluorination process (accounting for >67%). After the elimination of sulfonate group (-SO3-), the produced radical (C7F15CF2●) continued to react through two main pathways: one was the stepwise defluorination after hydrogenation, and the other one was oxidation reaction after alcoholization to yield the corresponding aldehydes and carboxylic acids. The optimum Fe fraction (MFe) was 30%, and air atmosphere was more effective than oxygen and nitrogen conditions. This study helps to comprehensively understand the role of Fe3O4 in defluorination and fills the gap of Fe/Fe3O4 application in the MCD of PFASs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Hu
- College of Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Yifan Qiu
- College of Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Bing Gu
- Zhejiang Tianyi Environmental Co., Ltd., 2 Youzhi Road, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Nv Yao
- Zhoushan Solidwaste Pollution Prevention and Control Center, 681 Haitian Avenue, Zhoushan, 316000, China
| | - Zimo Lou
- College of Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Zhuowei Cheng
- College of Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Xianzhao Zhang
- College of Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Jianming Yu
- College of Environment, Collaborative Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta Region Green Pharmaceuticals, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
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18
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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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19
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Yang N, Yang S, Ma Q, Beltran C, Guan Y, Morsey M, Brown E, Fernando S, Holsen TM, Zhang W, Yang Y. Solvent-Free Nonthermal Destruction of PFAS Chemicals and PFAS in Sediment by Piezoelectric Ball Milling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2023; 10:198-203. [PMID: 37034438 PMCID: PMC10074478 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Studies on the destruction of solid per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals and PFAS-laden solid wastes significantly lag behind the urgent social demand. There is a great need to develop novel treatment processes that can destroy nonaqueous PFAS at ambient temperatures and pressures. In this study, we develop a piezoelectric-material-assisted ball milling (PZM-BM) process built on the principle that ball collisions during milling can activate PZMs to generate ∼kV potentials for PFAS destruction in the absence of solvents. Using boron nitride (BN), a typical PZM, as an example, we successfully demonstrate the complete destruction and near-quantitative (∼100%) defluorination of solid PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) after a 2 h treatment. This process was also used to treat PFAS-contaminated sediment. Approximately 80% of 21 targeted PFAS were destroyed after 6 h of treatment. The reaction mechanisms were determined to be a combination of piezo-electrochemical oxidation of PFAS and fluorination of BN. The PZM-BM process demonstrates many potential advantages, as the degradation of diverse PFAS is independent of functional group and chain configurations and does not require caustic chemicals, heating, or pressurization. This pioneering study lays the groundwork for optimizing PZM-BM to treat various PFAS-laden solid wastes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanyang Yang
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Shasha Yang
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
- Institute
for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson
University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Qingquan Ma
- John
A. Reif, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey07102, United States
| | - Claudia Beltran
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Yunqiao Guan
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Madison Morsey
- Department
of Chemistry and Biomolecular Science, Clarkson
University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Elizabeth Brown
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Sujan Fernando
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Thomas M. Holsen
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
| | - Wen Zhang
- John
A. Reif, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey07102, United States
| | - Yang Yang
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York13699, United States
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20
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Gobindlal K, Zujovic Z, Jaine J, Weber CC, Sperry J. Solvent-Free, Ambient Temperature and Pressure Destruction of Perfluorosulfonic Acids under Mechanochemical Conditions: Degradation Intermediates and Fluorine Fate. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:277-285. [PMID: 36577148 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06673] [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] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorosulfonic acids (PFSAs) are a recalcitrant subclass of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) linked to numerous negative health effects in humans. Scalable technologies that effectively destroy PFSAs will greatly reduce the future health and ecological impact of these "forever chemicals". Herein, we show that several PFSAs undergo facile mechanochemical destruction (MCD) in the presence of quartz sand (SiO2). This process operates in the absence of solvent, at ambient temperature and pressure, generating a benign solid byproduct. Quantitative analysis of milled samples revealed high destruction efficiencies of 99.95% to 100% for five different PFSAs subjected to MCD conditions in the presence of SiO2 only. Extensive nontargeted analysis showed that, during degradation, other PFASs form and are ultimately destroyed upon extended mechanochemical treatment. Direct polarization (DP) and cross-polarization (CP) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) spectroscopy showed abundant silicon-fluorine (Si-F) bond formation post-MCD, indicating that fluorine was secured in a stable reservoir. Collectively, these results identified the degradation profile for an environmentally sound and effective PFSA degradation process that is amenable to scale-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kapish Gobindlal
- Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Zoran Zujovic
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Jacob Jaine
- Analytica Laboratories Limited, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Cameron C Weber
- Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Jonathan Sperry
- Centre for Green Chemical Science, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
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21
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Jenness GR, Koval AM, Etz BD, Shukla MK. Atomistic insights into the hydrodefluorination of PFAS using silylium catalysts. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:2085-2099. [PMID: 36165287 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00291d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fluorochemicals are a persistent environmental contaminant that require specialized techniques for degradation and capture. In particular, recent attention on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has led to numerous explorations of different techniques for degrading the super-strong C-F bonds found in these fluorochemicals. In this study, we investigated the hydrodefluorination mechanism using silylium-carborane salts for the degradation of PFAS at the density functional theory (DFT) level. We find that the degradation process involves both a cationic silylium (Et3Si+) and a hydridic silylium (Et3SiH) to facilitate the defluorination and hydride-addition events. Additionally, the role of carborane ([HCB11H5F6]-) is to force unoccupied anti-bonding orbitals to be partially occupied, weakening the C-F bond. We also show that changing the substituents on carborane from fluorine to other halogens weakens the C-F bond even further, with iodic carborane ([HCB11H5I6]-) having the greatest weakening effect. Moreover, our calculations reveal why the C-F bonds are resistant to degradation, and how the silylium-carborane chemistry is able to chemically transform these bonds into C-H bonds. We believe that our results are further applicable to other halocarbons, and can be used to treat either our existing stocks of these chemicals or to treat concentrated solutions following filtration and capture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen R Jenness
- Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg 39180, Mississippi, USA.
| | - Ashlyn M Koval
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), 1299 Bethel Valley Rd, Oak Ridge 37830, Tennessee, USA
| | - Brian D Etz
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), 1299 Bethel Valley Rd, Oak Ridge 37830, Tennessee, USA
| | - Manoj K Shukla
- Environmental Laboratory, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 3909 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg 39180, Mississippi, USA.
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22
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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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23
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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: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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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24
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Persico F, Coulon F, Ladyman M, Temple T. Development of an environmental hazard-based rating assessment for defence-related chemical compounds in ecological soil systems. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 166:107392. [PMID: 35810545 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107392] [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: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental hazard-based methods are commonly used to categorise the severity of chemical contamination to ecological soil systems, although a traffic-light approach (green, amber, red) has never been used to assess these consequences. A traffic light approach is an easy to interpretate data as it has a clear visual display which can provide an early warning approach for stakeholders to identify areas that require further investigation. This approach should be underpinned by extensive research data and systematic methods of development. However, the extent of reliable data available for specific chemicals can be limited and therefore decision making may rely on expert judgement. Therefore, in this study, an environmental hazard-based rating methodology was developed by combining the guidelines from the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) and the USEPA for Predicted Non-effect Concentration (PNEC) and Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco-SSL) for defence-related chemicals (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane (RDX), cypermethrin, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS)). The developed hazard-based rating assessment was design to categorise the chemicals into low, medium and high environmental hazards priority to inform and ease the decision-making process for contaminated areas to ensure that sustainable operations are carried out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Persico
- Cranfield University, Centre for Defence Chemistry, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham SN6 8LA, UK.
| | - Frederic Coulon
- Cranfield University, School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK.
| | - Melissa Ladyman
- Cranfield University, Centre for Defence Chemistry, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham SN6 8LA, UK.
| | - Tracey Temple
- Cranfield University, Centre for Defence Chemistry, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham SN6 8LA, UK.
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25
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Berg C, Crone B, Gullett B, Higuchi M, Krause MJ, Lemieux PM, Martin T, Shields EP, Struble E, Thoma E, Whitehill A. Developing innovative treatment technologies for PFAS-containing wastes. JOURNAL OF THE AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (1995) 2022; 72:540-555. [PMID: 34905459 PMCID: PMC9316338 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2021.2000903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The release of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into the environment is a major concern for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). To complement its ongoing research efforts addressing PFAS contamination, the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) commissioned the PFAS Innovative Treatment Team (PITT) to provide new perspectives on treatment and disposal of high priority PFAS-containing wastes. During its six-month tenure, the team was charged with identifying and developing promising solutions to destroy PFAS. The PITT examined emerging technologies for PFAS waste treatment and selected four technologies for further investigation. These technologies included mechanochemical treatment, electrochemical oxidation, gasification and pyrolysis, and supercritical water oxidation. This paper highlights these four technologies and discusses their prospects and the development needed before potentially becoming available solutions to address PFAS-contaminated waste.Implications: This paper examines four novel, non-combustion technologies or applications for the treatment of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) wastes. These technologies are introduced to the reader along with their current state of development and areas for further development. This information will be useful for developers, policy makers, and facility managers that are facing increasing issues with disposal of PFAS wastes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Berg
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brian Crone
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Brian Gullett
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mark Higuchi
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Max J. Krause
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Paul M. Lemieux
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Todd Martin
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Erin P. Shields
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ed Struble
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eben Thoma
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Andrew Whitehill
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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26
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O'Connor J, Mickan BS, Siddique KHM, Rinklebe J, Kirkham MB, Bolan NS. Physical, chemical, and microbial contaminants in food waste management for soil application: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 300:118860. [PMID: 35114306 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118860] [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: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Currently, 1.3 billion tonnes of food are thrown away each year, most of which are incinerated or landfilled causing large environmental, social, and economic issues. Therefore, the utilisation of food waste as biofertilisers, such as composts and digestates, is a solution to reduce the problems created by incineration and landfilling whilst simultaneously amending soils. The improper disposal of food wastes and bulking materials can contribute to high levels of contaminants within the end-product. Moreover, the food waste and bulking materials, themselves, may contain trace amounts of contaminants. These contaminants tend to have long half-lives, are easily mobile within soil and plants, can accumulate within the food supply chain, and have moderate to high levels of toxicity. This review aims to examine the current and emerging contaminants of high concern that impact the quality of food-waste fertilisers. The paper presents the volume of current and emerging contaminants of plastics, other physical (particulate) contaminants, heavy metals, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and pathogens within food-waste composts and digestates. Due to the large extent of organic chemical contaminants and the unknown level of toxicity and persistence, the risk assessment of organic chemical contaminants in the food-supply chain remains largely unknown. This study has presented available data from literature of various contaminants found in food waste, and composts and digestates derived from food waste, and evaluated the data with current regulations globally. Overall, to reduce contaminants in composts and digestates, more studies are required on the implementation of proper disposal separation, effective composting and digestion practices, increased screening of physical contaminants, development of compostable plastics, and increased regulatory policies on emerging, problematic contaminants. Moreover, examination of emerging contaminants in food-waste composts and digestates is needed to ensure food security and reduce future human-health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O'Connor
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soil (Soil CRC), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Bede S Mickan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany; Department of Environment, Energy and Geoinformatics, Sejong University, 98 Gunja-Dong, Guangjin-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - M B Kirkham
- Department of Agronomy, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, United States
| | - Nanthi S Bolan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for High Performance Soil (Soil CRC), The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6001, Australia
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27
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PFAS Molecules: A Major Concern for the Human Health and the Environment. TOXICS 2022; 10:toxics10020044. [PMID: 35202231 PMCID: PMC8878656 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10020044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of over 4700 heterogeneous compounds with amphipathic properties and exceptional stability to chemical and thermal degradation. The unique properties of PFAS compounds has been exploited for almost 60 years and has largely contributed to their wide applicability over a vast range of industrial, professional and non-professional uses. However, increasing evidence indicate that these compounds represent also a serious concern for both wildlife and human health as a result of their ubiquitous distribution, their extreme persistence and their bioaccumulative potential. In light of the adverse effects that have been already documented in biota and human populations or that might occur in absence of prompt interventions, the competent authorities in matter of health and environment protection, the industries as well as scientists are cooperating to identify the most appropriate regulatory measures, substitution plans and remediation technologies to mitigate PFAS impacts. In this review, starting from PFAS chemistry, uses and environmental fate, we summarize the current knowledge on PFAS occurrence in different environmental media and their effects on living organisms, with a particular emphasis on humans. Also, we describe present and provisional legislative measures in the European Union framework strategy to regulate PFAS manufacture, import and use as well as some of the most promising treatment technologies designed to remediate PFAS contamination in different environmental compartments.
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28
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Sonmez Baghirzade B, Zhang Y, Reuther JF, Saleh NB, Venkatesan AK, Apul OG. Thermal Regeneration of Spent Granular Activated Carbon Presents an Opportunity to Break the Forever PFAS Cycle. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:5608-5619. [PMID: 33881842 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Extensive use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has caused their ubiquitous presence in natural waters. One of the standard practices for PFAS removal from water is adsorption onto granular activated carbon (GAC); however, this approach generates a new waste stream, i.e., PFAS-laden GAC. Considering the recalcitrance of PFAS molecules in the environment, inadequate disposal (e.g., landfill or incineration) of PFAS-laden GAC may let PFAS back into the aquatic cycle. Therefore, developing approaches for PFAS-laden GAC management present unique opportunities to break its forever circulation within the aqueous environment. This comprehensive review evaluates the past two decades of research on conventional thermal regeneration of GAC and critically analyzes and summarizes the literature on regeneration of PFAS-laden GACs. Optimized thermal regeneration of PFAS-laden GACs may provide an opportunity to employ existing regeneration infrastructure to mineralize the adsorbed PFAS and recover the spent GAC. The specific objectives of this review are (i) to investigate the role of physicochemical properties of PFAS on thermal regeneration, (ii) to assess the changes in regeneration yield as well as GAC physical and chemical structure upon thermal regeneration, and (iii) to critically discuss regeneration parameters controlling the process. This literature review on the engineered regeneration process illustrates the significant promise of this approach that can break the endless environmental cycle of these forever chemicals, while preserving the desired physicochemical properties of the valuable GAC adsorbent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Busra Sonmez Baghirzade
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Yi Zhang
- New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - James F Reuther
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts 01854, United States
| | - Navid B Saleh
- Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Arjun K Venkatesan
- New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - Onur G Apul
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, United States
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