Grantee Research Project Results
2021 Progress Report: Low-cost Household Water Filter for PFAS Removal
EPA Grant Number: SU839810Title: Low-cost Household Water Filter for PFAS Removal
Investigators: Wu, Tingting , Vogler, Bernhard , Thanh Vu, Chi , Ibsen, Rebecca , Overstreet, Abigail
Current Investigators: Wu, Tingting , Vogler, Bernhard , Thanh Vu, Chi
Institution: The University of Alabama in Huntsville
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: November 1, 2019 through October 30, 2020 (Extended to December 31, 2022)
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2020 through October 31,2021
Project Amount: $24,997
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2019) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Objective:
This project aims to develop novel low-cost bio-hybrid adsorbents for point-of-use (POU) treatment of both long-chain and short-chain PFAS at homes/offices, and thus helps promote safe drinking water supply. Given the widespread contamination of drinking water sources by PFAS and the challenges to implementing comprehensive and uniform regulatory strategy, POU treatment can represent an inexpensive and immediate solution, which may be particularly appealing to small, rural, tribal, and disadvantaged communities.
Studies of toxicological effects of PFAS on mammals found that these compounds have the propensity to bind with proteins possibly due to the polar hydrophobic nature and high levels of PFAS in humans and other animals have been accordingly detected in the protein-rich blood and organs. Inspired by these findings, the research team attempts to exploit the affinity of PFAS for proteins and develop novel bio-hybrid functional materials for selective PFAS adsorption. The primary objective of the Phase I study is to acquire the data necessary to demonstrate proof-of-concept and lead to the development of a prototype filter utilizing the innovative bio-hybrid adsorbents. To achieve this objective, the research team undertakes two research tasks: (1) synthesis and characterization of supported bio-hybrid adsorbents, and (2) evaluation of PFAS removal using bio-hybrid adsorbents. Our research progress has been significantly delayed due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and we are working on Task (2) at this time.
Progress Summary:
The outputs of the Phase I study include the novel bio-hybrid adsorbents prepared using different proteins loaded on different substrates along with the corresponding synthesis procedure, and the screening test data of these new adsorbents towards PFAS removal. The screening tests have enabled us to select GAC as the most appropriate adsorbent substrate. The GAC-based bio-hybrid adsorbents have also been analyzed using a range of traditional and advanced analytical techniques. Output also includes optimization of the synthesis procedure for more efficient material preparation. The main outcome of the Phase I study is that we have demonstrated proof-of-concept that simple functionalization with protein can significantly enhance the adsorption capacity of GAC for both long-chain and short-chain PFAS. These encouraging results indicate the great potential of the bio-hybrid adsorbents developed in this project as a new and effective filter media to be used in POU devices for PFAS removal.
Future Activities:
The results obtained so far have demonstrated that the bio-hybrid adsorbents prepared by protein functionalization of GAC can significantly enhance the adsorption capacity of plain GAC towards PFAS of different chain lengths. In particular, these bio-hybrid adsorbents have even exhibited higher removal for short-chain PFAS than the long-chain one. Such selectivity is exciting and of great environmental significance because (a) it has rarely been reported in the literature, (b) with the concerns and regulations of legacy long-chain PFAS (e.g. PFOA and PFOS), short-chain homologues have been used as alternatives and frequently detected in water sources in recent studies, and (c) short-chain PFAS have similar environmental properties of concern but there are currently no treatment technologies and strategies identified for reliable and efficient removal of short-chain PFAS from water. The research progress has laid solid groundwork for the development of point-of-use filters using these novel bio-hybrid adsorbents to address the water quality challenge associated with a variety of PFAS. However, there are several research questions that need to be answered in the Phase II study in order to achieve the overarching goal of this project:
1) How do different types of GAC affect the performance of bio-hybrid adsorbents?
2) What are the underlying mechanisms of PFAS adsorption by the bio-hybrid adsorbents?
3) How does a prototype point-of-use filter perform under flow-through conditions simulating practical application scenarios?
4) What are the design protocol/application guidelines of these POU filters?
5) How is the cost-effectiveness of these POU filters?
The overarching goal of this project is to develop novel low-cost bio-hybrid adsorbents for point-of-use (POU) treatment of both long-chain and short-chain PFAS at homes/offices, and thus helps counteract the increasing risk of adverse effects on human caused by a continuous and permanent exposure to PFAS via drinking water and promote safe drinking water supply. A broad spectrum of end users across public water systems of different scales and private wells in remote/rural areas can benefit from the outcomes of this project. The Phase I study is still ongoing but the results obtained so far have demonstrated proof-of-concept. In order to achieve the primary goal of this research effort, we will pursue the following four objectives during Phase II of this project:
1) Prepare and evaluate bio-hybrid adsorbents with different GAC as the substrates;
2) Investigate PFAS adsorption mechanism by the bio-hybrid adsorbents;
3) Develop and test prototype faucet filters using bio-hybrid adsorbents under flow-through conditions simulating practical application scenarios; and
4) Conduct cost analysis and develop application guidelines.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 3 publications | 3 publications in selected types | All 3 journal articles |
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Vu CT, Wu T. Adsorption of short-chained perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) from water/wastewater. Environmental Science:Water Research & Technology 2020;6:2958-2972. |
SU839810 (2020) SU839810 (2021) |
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Vu CT, Wu T. Recent progress in adsorptive removal of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water/wastewater. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. 2020. |
SU839810 (2020) SU839810 (2021) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
drinking water treatment technology, water filtration, human health, point of use, cost-effectiveProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase II:
Low-cost Household Water Filter for PFAS RemovalThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.