Electrical discharge plasma is a highly effective treatment method for the degradation of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that reside at gas-liquid interfaces such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) due to their proximity to the plasma-generated reactive species. For non-surfactants such as short- and ultrashort-chain PFAS, the application of this technology requires the addition of a commercially available surfactant, which binds to and facilitates the transport of these compounds to the interface where they are degraded.<br/>The goal of this study was to advance the fundamental understanding of the physical and chemical mechanisms involved in the degradation of triflate, trifluoroacetic acid, perfluoropropionic acid and perfluorobutane sulfonate, in a point-ring plasma reactor electrode configuration wherein argon gas is continuously bubbled throughout the solution and plasma is generated in the gas phase in contact with the surface of the water. The study identified the best performing surfactant(s) for maximum PFAS mineralization and characterized the surfactant-PFAS interaction using a range of imaging and analytical techniques. Optical emission spectroscopy was utilized to probe the excited species generated in the plasma that may be responsible for the formation of the identified degradation byproducts. Result indicate that electrical discharge plasma is a promising technology for the treatment of short- and ultrashort-chain PFAS.

Plasma-based treatment of short- and ultrashort-chain poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): opportunities and challenges

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

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