Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Microwave-Catalytic Membrane for PFAS Degradation and Antiviral Applications
EPA Grant Number: SV840419Title: Microwave-Catalytic Membrane for PFAS Degradation and Antiviral Applications
Investigators: Zhang, Wen , Liu, Fangzhou , Suthammanont, Ashley , de la Rosa, Willma Arias
Institution: New Jersey Institute of Technology
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: II
Project Period: August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2024
Project Amount: $100,000
RFA: 17th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet - Phase 2 (2022) Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards
Objective:
In phase II research, we aimed to further assess the antiviral activity of the microwave-responsive membrane filtration system to minimize the persistent microbial risks. The catalyst coated microwave-assisted membrane filtration is expected to enhance the viral removal or inactivation compared to the same filtration process without catalyst or microwave irradiation, which leads to microwave catalysis reactions and viral inactivation. Besides, a suite of novel high-performance microwave-responsive catalysts have been assessed for microwave-enhanced liquid or gas filtration applications. For instance, the electromagnetic properties of the catalysts such as permittivity, permeability and reflection loss (RL) were measured for catalyst selection. The microwave penetration into the membrane modules, water and catalyst layers were experimentally examined, followed by Multiphysics COMSOL simulations to predict or explain the results that are difficult to obtain experimentally (e.g., under variations of microwave frequency/power, irradiation location and membrane scale).
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Outputs: In this project, we successfully evaluated the antiviral performance of a microwave-responsive catalyst (BiFe3O4) through batch experiments using MS2 bacteriophage as a virus surrogate in water samples. The combination of microwave irradiation and catalyst resulted in the highest MS2 removal due to thermal and non-thermal effects. Additionally, we developed a continuous water filtration system that demonstrated significant MS2 removal with microwave irradiation, with increased hydraulic retention time (HRT) enhancing the effect. Several simulation experiments were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics (6.0) to analyze heat distribution and microwave penetration in BFO catalyst layers and water layers. The project also led to the fabrication of a new microwave-responsive material, MXene, for aerosol virus inactivation, which was coated on polypropylene air filters. The synthesized Ti3C2Tx MXene, characterized using SEM, EDS, XRD, and TEM, confirmed enhanced selective heating and self-cleaning capabilities. The microwave-responsive filtration system using MXene-coated filters significantly improved airborne pathogen disinfection. The project involved a team led by Ph.D. student Fangzhou Liu and included contributions from undergraduate and high school students in various aspects such as microwave reactor design, catalyst synthesis, and air quality monitoring. We partnered with environmental engineers from BRISEA Co., providing comprehensive learning experience and entrepreneurial skills. The results from these extensive experiments and simulations have been compiled into a comprehensive study, which has been presented through three oral presentations and two poster presentations. We have published four papers, one book and another paper under submission.
Conclusions:
During the 2022-2023 project period We have successfully evaluated the antiviral performance of microwave-responsive catalyst (BiFe3O4) with batch experiments using a model MS2 bacteriophage as a virus surrogate in water samples. Compared with the treatment of only catalyst, only microwave, and water heating, the combination of microwave irradiation and catalyst led to the highest MS2 removal (0.66 log removal or 76% in 120 s), because of the thermal and non-thermal effects, such as radical generation, which contributed to the viral removal. Furthermore, with the continuous water filtration system, a log removal of 2.6 was achieved for MS2 within a contact time as low as 20 s using 125-W microwave irradiation with the initial MS2 concentration of 105 PFU∙mL-1. By contrast, almost no inactivation could be achieved without microwave irradiation. In addition, with microwave irradiation turned on at the filtration time of 6 min, the MS2 concentrations at HRTs of 60, 30, and 20 s decreased appreciably, with the corresponding LRVs of 3.3, 2.7, and 2.6, which means that increasing HRT favored the MS2 removal. Furthermore, with 125-W microwave irradiation for 2 min, the TMP increased from 2.4 psi to 3.5 psi and from 4.5 psi to 5.5 psi for HRTs of 30 s and 60 s, respectively. However, the TMP decreased from 6.5 psi to 5.8 psi for an HRT of 20 s after 60-s microwave irradiation, probably because surface bubbling removed surface foulants within the membrane pores or on the membrane surface, which increased the water permeability and reduced TMP. The measured transmembrane pressure (TMP) and LRV of MS2, indicates that MS2 removal decreased with the LRV reduced from 3.0 ± 0.6 to 2.2 ± 0.3 over five consecutive filtration cycles. TMP increased by ~20% by the last filtration cycle, probably due to membrane fouling caused by the deposition of any residual culture medium substances and adsorbed viruses. COMSOL simulation indicates that the catalyst surface could be heated up to 305 oC with 125-W microwave irradiation for 20 s and also analyzed microwave penetration into catalyst or water film layers.
During the 2023-2024 project period, we demonstrated that with just 0.05 mg∙cm² of MXene, surfaces reached 104°C under 125W in only three seconds, achieving a 98% ± 1% removal rate for the MS2 virus species. The oxidation of MXene under microwave heating enhanced its heating efficiency and stability, ensuring performance in high-humidity settings. The project fostered collaboration among students, professional engineers, and environmental experts, leading to tangible educational outcomes in physics, chemistry, and microbiology. Students gained insights into business innovation and commercialization, applying theoretical knowledge to practical problems and gaining entrepreneurial skills. These findings represent significant advancements in understanding the interaction between microwave irradiation and catalyst-coated membranes, providing a foundation for further research and potential applications in water treatment and virus inactivation technologies.
Journal Articles on this Report : 3 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 9 publications | 4 publications in selected types | All 3 journal articles |
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Liu F, Rittmann B, Kuthari S, Zhang W. Viral inactivation using microwave-enhanced membrane filtration. Journal of Hazardous Materials 2023;458: 131966. |
SV840419 (Final) SU840150 (Final) |
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Liu F, Ma Q, Sabuj M, Yen S, Govindan D, Gao J, Zhao M, Elimelech M, Zhang W. Revolutionizing airborne virus defense:electromagnetic MXene-coated air filtration for superior aerosol viral removal. ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 2024;16(8):10148-10157. |
SV840419 (2023) SV840419 (Final) |
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Liu F, Ma Q, Marjub MM, Suthammanont AK, Sun S, Yao H, Tao Y, Zhang W. Reactive air disinfection technologies:principles and applications in bioaerosol removal. ACS ES&T Engineering 2023;3(5):602-615. |
SV840419 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Microwave disinfection, Microwave catalysis, Waterborne virus, Bacteriophage MS2Relevant Websites:
Wen Research Group - NJIT Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractP3 Phase I:
Microwave-Catalytic Membrane for PFAS Degradation | Final ReportThe 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.