Health implications associated with long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have led to a shift towards production and use of shorter-chain PFASs and fluorinated alternatives. Fluorinated alternatives include perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acids (PFECAs) and sulfonic acids (PFESAs), in which ether oxygen atoms are incorporated into the fluorinated alkyl chain. Short-chain PFASs and many PFECAs/PFESAs are likely less bioaccumulative than long-chain PFASs, but many are still persistent and toxic. Detection of short-chain PFASs and fluorinated alternatives in source waters is of concern because many water treatment processes are not effective for their removal. One treatment option that can be effective is granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption. Our research aims to 1) identify a rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) design [e.g. constant diffusivity (CD), proportional diffusivity (PD)] to predict field-scale GAC performance, 2) elucidate PFAS properties controlling adsorbability to GAC, and 3) identify GAC properties that yield effective PFAS removal. RSSCTs were conducted to compare PFAS removal by four GACs from two surface waters and a groundwater. Samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS for 24 PFASs, including 13 PFECAs/PFESAs. With the PD-RSSCT design, bed volumes to 10% PFAS breakthrough were a factor of ~3 greater for most PFASs than with the miniCD-RSSCT. Similarly, the PD-RSSCT yielded adsorption capacities for most PFASs that were about double those obtained with the miniCD-RSSCT. Bed volumes to 10% breakthrough increased with increasing PFAS chain length for both non-ether and ether containing PFAS. Compared to linear PFASs, branched counterparts were less adsorbable. Reagglomerated, sub-bituminous coal-based GAC was more effective than enhanced coconut GAC, likely due to the larger mesopore volume of the former. Background organic matter concentration strongly influenced PFAS removal. Especially for longer-chain PFASs, bed volumes to 10% breakthrough were substantially greater when treating groundwater (TOC &lt;0.5 mg/L) compared to coagulated surface water (TOC = 1.3 mg/L).

Adsorption of PFAS by granular activated carbon: Scale-up of bench-scale data and factors controlling GAC use rates

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.