Removal efficiency of multiple poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in drinking water using granular activated carbon (GAC) and anion exchange (AE) column tests

McCleaf, Philip; Englund, Sophie; Östlund, Anna; Lindegren, Klara; Wiberg, Karin; Ahrens, Lutz

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2017.04.057

Cited by 438 publications

(305 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…It was previously reported that both the length and functionality of the head groups of PFAS have an effect on sorption (Higgins & Luthy, ; Wang, Liu, & Shih, ). Because PFOA and PFOS have the same carbon chain lengths, the carboxylate and sulfonate head group may have an influence on their sorption (Appleman et al, ; Du et al, ; Eschauzier et al, ; McCleaf et al, ). The sulfonate group is slightly larger compared with the carboxylate group and hence shows higher hydrophobic properties (Higgins & Luthy, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of groundwater conditions and co‐contaminants on sorption of perfluoroalkyl compounds on granular activated carbon

Siriwardena

Crimi

Holsen

et al. 2019

Remediation Journal

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Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are emerging and persistent organic pollutants that have been detected in many environmental media, humans, and wildlife. A common method to effectively remove PFAS from water is adsorption by activated carbon. Preliminary sorption experiments were conducted using five characterized Calgon Corporation coal‐based granular activated carbon (GAC; F100, F200, F816, F300, and F400), one coconut‐based GAC (CBC‐OLC 12 × 30), and one Jacobi Corporation coal‐based GAC (Omni‐G 12 × 40). Sorption of four representative PFAS onto each GAC was measured to select the most favorable carbon sources. F400 and CBC were chosen based on their performance in preliminary PFAS sorption experiments and contrasting properties. Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were developed for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanoic sulfonate (PFOS) at an initial concentration of 1 mg/L. Sorption capacities were determined for PFOA and PFOS individually and in the mixture. Individual compounds showed higher sorption than when present in the mixture for both PFOA and PFOS. PFOS showed higher sorption than PFOA both individually and in the mixture and F400 showed higher sorption capacity than CBC. The presence of co‐contaminants (kerosene, trichloroethylene, and ethanol), and variations in groundwater conditions (pH, presence of SO 4 − 2 anions, naturally occurring organic matter, and iron oxides) demonstrated limited impact on the sorption of PFAS onto GAC under the experimental conditions tested.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of groundwater conditions and co‐contaminants on sorption of perfluoroalkyl compounds on granular activated carbon

Siriwardena

Crimi

Holsen

et al. 2019

Remediation Journal

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“…However, our data support previous findings that serum PFOA concentrations are declining (Kato et al, 2011; Olsen et al, 2017) even in the absence of additional drinking water filtration. Additionally, recent evidence suggests that granular activated carbon filtration may not be as effective for the removal of other PFAS as they are for PFOA (McCleaf et al, 2017; Xiao et al, 2017). Our data suggest that efforts over the last few decades to reduce the manufacture and use of long-chain PFAS have successfully reduced human exposure to PFOA.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid suggests historical non drinking-water exposures are important for predicting current serum concentrations

Worley

Yang

Fisher

2017

Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology

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Manufacturing of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a synthetic chemical with a long half-life in humans, peaked between 1970 and 2002, and has since diminished. In the United States, PFOA is detected in the blood of >99% of people tested, but serum concentrations have decreased since 1999. Much is known about exposure to PFOA in drinking water; however, the impact of non-drinking water PFOA exposure on serum PFOA concentrations is not well characterized. The objective of this research is to apply physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and Monte Carlo analysis to evaluate the impact of historic non-drinking water PFOA exposure on serum PFOA concentrations. In vitro to in vivo extrapolation was utilized to inform descriptions of PFOA transport in the kidney. Monte Carlo simulations were incorporated to evaluate factors that account for the large inter-individual variability of serum PFOA concentrations measured in individuals from North Alabama in 2010 and 2016, and the Mid-Ohio River Valley between 2005 and 2008. Predicted serum PFOA concentrations were within two-fold of experimental data. With incorporation of Monte Carlo simulations, the model successfully tracked the large variability of serum PFOA concentrations measured in populations from the Mid-Ohio River Valley. Simulation of exposure in a population of 45 adults from North Alabama successfully predicted 98% of individual serum PFOA concentrations measured in 2010 and 2016, respectively, when non-drinking water ingestion of PFOA exposure was included. Variation in serum PFOA concentrations may be due to inter-individual variability in the disposition of PFOA and potentially elevated historical non-drinking water exposures.

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“…GAC can consistently remove PFOS at parts per billion or micrograms per liter (μg/L) concentrations with an efficiency of more than 90 percent (Eschauzier, Beerendonk, Scholte‐Veenendaal, & De Voogt, ; Ochoa‐Herrera & Sierra‐Alvarez, ; Oliaei, Kriens, Weber, & Watson, ). However, GAC can be inefficient at removing PFOA (Oliaei et al., ) and becomes progressively less effective for removing shorter chain PFCAs such as PFHxA, PFPeA, PFBS, and PFBA as the chain length diminishes (Inyang & Dickenson, ; McCleaf et al., ). GAC systems have become the baseline against which all new adsorbent technologies targeting PFAS removal from water are compared.…”

Section: Water Treatment Technologiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the extreme persistence of PFASs, designing remedies that will achieve these very low target levels in perpetuity will be challenging and likely involve long‐term expenditures (Cousins, Vestergren, Wang, Scheringer, & McLachlan, ). Furthermore, very few remedial technologies have been validated using analytical techniques that measure the entire PFAS mass, such as the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay (Houtz & Sedlak, ), and against PFASs with ultrashort (≤C3) perfluoroalkyl chains (Jogsten & Yeung, ; McCleaf et al., ; Yeung, Stadey, & Mabury, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of emerging technologies for remediation of PFASs

Ross

McDonough

Miles

et al. 2018

Remediation Journal

408

268

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The need for remediation of poly‐ and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is growing as a result of more regulatory attention to this new class of contaminants with diminishing water quality standards being promulgated, commonly in the parts per trillion range. PFASs comprise >3,000 individual compounds, but the focus of analyses and regulations has generally been PFASs termed perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), which are all extremely persistent, can be highly mobile, and are increasingly being reported to bioaccumulate, with understanding of their toxicology evolving. However, there are thousands of polyfluorinated “PFAA precursors”, which can transform in the environment and in higher organisms to create PFAAs as persistent daughter products. Some PFASs can travel miles from their point of release, as they are mobile and persistent, potentially creating large plumes. The use of a conceptual site model (CSM) to define risks posed by specific PFASs to potential receptors is considered essential. Granular activated carbon (GAC) is commonly used as part of interim remedial measures to treat PFASs present in water. Many alternative treatment technologies are being adapted for PFASs or ingenious solutions developed. The diversity of PFASs commonly associated with use of multiple PFASs in commercial products is not commonly assessed. Remedial technologies, which are adsorptive or destructive, are considered for both soils and waters with challenges to their commercial application outlined. Biological approaches to treat PFASs report biotransformation which creates persistent PFAAs, no PFASs can biodegrade. Water treatment technologies applied ex situ could be used in a treatment train approach, for example, to concentrate PFASs and then destroy them on‐site. Dynamic groundwater recirculation can greatly enhance contaminant mass removal via groundwater pumping. This review of technologies for remediation of PFASs describes that: GAC may be effective for removal of long‐chain PFAAs, but does not perform well on short‐chain PFAAs and its use for removal of precursors is reported to be less effective; Anion‐exchange resins can remove a wider array of long‐ and short‐chain PFAAs, but struggle to treat the shortest chain PFAAs and removal of most PFAA precursors has not been evaluated; Ozofractionation has been applied for PFASs at full scale and shown to be effective for removal of total PFASs; Chemical oxidation has been demonstrated to be potentially applicable for some PFAAs, but when applied in situ there is concern over the formation of shorter chain PFAAs and ongoing rebound from sorbed precursors; Electrochemical oxidation is evolving as a destructive technology for many PFASs, but can create undesirable by‐products such as perchlorate and bromate; Sonolysis has been demonstrated as a potential destructive technology in the laboratory but there are significant challenges when considering scale up; Soils stabilization approaches are evolving and have been used at full scale but performance need to be assessed usin...

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Removal efficiency of multiple poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in drinking water using granular activated carbon (GAC) and anion exchange (AE) column tests

Cited by 438 publications

References 35 publications

Influence of groundwater conditions and co‐contaminants on sorption of perfluoroalkyl compounds on granular activated carbon

Influence of groundwater conditions and co‐contaminants on sorption of perfluoroalkyl compounds on granular activated carbon

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of human exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid suggests historical non drinking-water exposures are important for predicting current serum concentrations

A review of emerging technologies for remediation of PFASs

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