Issue 9, 2024

Emerging investigator series: photocatalytic treatment of PFAS in a single-step ultrafiltration membrane reactor

Abstract

Amidst the discovery of widespread per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination and growing concerns of prolonged exposure even at low levels, many water treatment facilities are adopting reversed osmosis and nanofiltration processes to address these pollutants. Yet, these technologies are not sustainable, generating highly concentrated brines and requiring high operational pressures and energy inputs. Meanwhile, ultrafiltration (UF) membranes operate at less than 1 bar of transmembrane pressure (TMP) but are considered ineffective at removing organic pollutants. However, surface modifications make it possible to remove PFAS via UF. This study investigated the use of an adsorptive, photocatalytic, iron-enhanced titanium nanotube activated carbon composite coating on UF membranes to simultaneously remove and degrade PFAS in situ. In a photo-membrane reactor (PMR) under UV irradiation, the membranes removed up to 80% of the initial PFOA within 2 hours and the average removal over two 8-hour operation cycles was 69%. Although PFOA removal decreased to 35% when tested on a mixed PFAS solution, 46% of PFOS was still removed and 95% of the adsorbed PFOA was destroyed, while short-chain PFAS were removed to a lesser degree. This work provides a proof-of-concept of the PMR technology, which with further development could provide a single-step treatment for aqueous PFAS contamination in groundwater and pretreated surface and wastewaters.

Graphical abstract: Emerging investigator series: photocatalytic treatment of PFAS in a single-step ultrafiltration membrane reactor

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 mars 2024
Accepted
23 mai 2024
First published
24 mai 2024

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2024,10, 2062-2074

Emerging investigator series: photocatalytic treatment of PFAS in a single-step ultrafiltration membrane reactor

A. L. Junker, F. M. S. Christensen, L. Bai, M. K. Jørgensen, P. Fojan, A. Khalil and Z. Wei, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2024, 10, 2062 DOI: 10.1039/D4EW00224E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements