Skip to content
6CCVD Research

Insights into the application of the anodic oxidation process for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water matrices

At a Glance

Section titled “At a Glance”
MetadataDetails
Publication Date2024-01-23
JournalChemical Engineering Journal
AuthorsJavier López-Våzquez, Carla S. Santos, Rosa Montes, Rosario Rodil, José Benito Quintana
InstitutionsFraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
Citations15

Abstract

Section titled “Abstract”

The current study aimed to investigate major knowledge gaps regarding the application of the anodic oxidation (AO) process with boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes for the remediation of water matrices contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This included: (i) the degradation of ultrashort-chain (C1-C3) and long-chain (C9-C13) PFAS in addition to short- and medium-chain (C4-C8) PFAS, (ii) the application of multi-solute systems with different PFAS content (0.2 ”g L−1 versus 2.0 ”g L−1) and diversity (24 C1-C13 versus 8 C1-C8) in addition to single-solute systems, (iii) the use of real water matrices in addition to pure water, and (iv) the application of current densities (j) up to 250 mA cm−2 in addition to usual j (≀20 mA cm−2). C1-C4 PFAS with a sulfonated headgroup were the most recalcitrant compounds. By contrast, PFAS ≄ C9 with a sulfonated headgroup and PFAS ≄ C12 with a carboxylic headgroup were potentially instantaneously degraded. The content and diversity of PFAS mainly affected the degradation kinetics of PFEtS (C2), PFPrA (C3), and PFBA (C4). Four real water matrices were under focus: drinking water (DW), urban wastewater after secondary treatment (UWW), and nanofiltration concentrate (NF) and reverse osmosis concentrate (RO) from urban wastewater polishing step. PFAS degradation typically benefited from using real matrices primarily due to the presence of chloride ions and consequent electrogeneration of active chlorine species. However, for waters with a high organic content, namely a chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 319 mg O2 L−1, PFAS degradation was hindered. Furthermore, the removal of most PFAS benefited from the application of j > 20 mA cm−2, and some specific PFAS required the use of j ≄ 250 mA cm−2 to have maximized removal rates.

Tech Support

Section titled “Tech Support”

Original Source

Section titled “Original Source”

References

Section titled “References”
  1. 2022 - Immunomodulation and exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances: an overview of the current evidence from animal and human studies [Crossref]
  2. 2020 - Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic systems: occurrence, impacts and treatment [Crossref]
  3. 2020 - Removal of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water by adsorption: role of PFAS chain length, effect of organic matter and challenges in adsorbent regeneration [Crossref]
  4. 2020 - Facing the challenge of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in water: is electrochemical oxidation the answer? [Crossref]

Reads Similar to This

Micro-structural and optical properties of diamond-like carbon films grown by magnetic field-assisted laser deposition Laboratory and Semi-Pilot Scale Study on the Electrochemical Treatment of Perfluoroalkyl Acids from Ion Exchange Still Bottoms Electrochemical Degradation of Piroxicam on a Boron‐Doped Diamond Anode - Investigation of Operating Parameters and Ultrasound Synergy