A Review on Removal and Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) by Novel Membranes

Abstract

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) are anthropogenic chemicals consisting of thousands of individual species. PFAS consists of a fully or partly fluorinated carbon–fluorine bond, which is hard to break and requires a high amount of energy (536 kJ/mole). Resulting from their unique hydrophobic/oleophobic nature and their chemical and mechanical stability, they are highly resistant to thermal, chemical, and biological degradation. PFAS have been used extensively worldwide since the 1940s in various products such as non-stick household items, food-packaging, cosmetics, electronics, and firefighting foams. Exposure to PFAS may lead to health issues such as hormonal imbalances, a compromised immune system, cancer, fertility disorders, and adverse effects on fetal growth and learning ability in children. To date, very few novel membrane approaches have been reported effective in removing and destroying PFAS. Therefore, this article provides a critical review of PFAS treatment and removal approaches by membrane separation systems. We discuss recently reported novel and effective membrane techniques for PFAS separation and include a detailed discussion of parameters affecting PFAS membrane separation and destruction. Moreover, an estimation of cost analysis is also included for each treatment technology. Additionally, since the PFAS treatment technology is still growing, we have incorporated several future directions for efficient PFAS treatment.

Electrosorption, Desorption, and Oxidation of Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylic Acids (PFCAs) via MXene-Based Electrocatalytic Membranes

“…21 For example, a composite catalyst, Co@Mxene, was studied to catalyze O 3 for the degradation of sodium p-perfluorous nonenoxybenzene sulfonate (OBS), a substitute for polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 22 Electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) have been increasingly studied recently to treat recalcitrant water pollutants such as perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), a group of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are persistent to natural weathering or degradation 23,24 because of their extremely strong carbon−fluorine bonds. 25 Some electrode materials such as carbonaceous materials, B/ N-doped diamond, 26 Ti/SnO 2 −Sb/PbO 2 , 27 phase Ti 4 O 7 28 have been previously reported to treat PFCAs via EAOP.…”

Investigation into Cationic Surfactants and Polyelectrolyte-Coated β-Zeolites for Rapid and High-Capacity Adsorption of Short- and Long-Chain PFAS

“…However, many techniques have inherent drawbacks. Some (filtration) have low PFAS removal capacity, whereas others (photocatalysis and electrochemical oxidation) suffer from high residence time requirements needed to meet the regulatory specifications. , Sonolysis requires the pretreatment of water samples beforehand, while electrolysis is highly energy-intensive . Inherent process complexities restrict high-throughput PFAS water treatments, hindering scaled application.…”

Predicting pyrolysis decomposition of PFOA using computational nanoreactors: a thermodynamic study

“…Some current methods for PFAS degradation are electrochemical oxidation, incineration, ultrasonic sonication, mineralization, and UV treatments. 11,[13][14][15][16][17] The simplest way of destroying PFAS is through thermal decomposition via pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is the process of thermal decomposition of materials at high temperatures, oen in an inert atmosphere.…”

“…Some current methods for PFAS degradation are electrochemical oxidation, incineration, ultrasonic sonication, mineralization, and UV treatments. 11,13–17…”