Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Using UV-Advanced Reduction Processes
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide UV-advanced reduction processes (UV-ARP), characterized by the strongly reducing aqueous electron (e aq – ), have been shown to degrade perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Due to the high cost of PFAS destruction technologies, concentrated waste streams derived from physical treatment processes, such as ion exchange or membrane concentrates, are promising targets for implementation of these technologies. However, there are limited studies on the application of UV-ARP for PFAS destruction in concentrated waste streams. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the UV/sulfite ARP in reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) containing high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrate, and carbonate species, spiked with mg/L concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluorobutanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, and perfluorobutanoic acid. We demonstrate that hardness removal and preoxidation of ROC with UV/persulfate enables >90% PFAS defluorination within 24 h of subsequent UV/sulfite treatment, a 3-fold enhancement in defluorination % compared to UV/sulfite treatment without preoxidation. This enhancement is shown to result from abatement of the light shielding and e aq – scavenging capacity of DOC during UV/persulfate oxidation. Collectively, these results demonstrate that appropriate pretreatment steps increase the effectiveness of PFAS destruction using UV-ARP, supporting the application of UV-ARP for PFAS destruction in ROC and other concentrated waste streams.
Source: ACS ES&T Water
Institutions: University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Texas A&M University
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Chemistry
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
Award: G1003639898
OpenAlex ID: W4403844261