Grantee Research Project Results
2020 Progress Report: An Electroactive Point-of-Use Filter for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Contaminant Removal
EPA Grant Number: SU839800Title: An Electroactive Point-of-Use Filter for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Contaminant Removal
Investigators: Call, Douglas R. , Knappe, Detlef R.U.
Institution: North Carolina State University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020 (Extended to September 30, 2021)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2019 through September 30,2020
Project Amount: $25,000
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:
There are more than 4,000 different per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in use today. Many are widely present in drinking water across the country and pose a public and environmental health threat because of their toxicity and persistence in the environment. Granular activated carbon (GAC) is a widely used sorbent to remove PFAS from drinking water, but it faces several technical challenges, including a limited ability to remove (or adsorb) short-chain PFAS (e.g., GenX).
Since GAC is inherently electrically conductive, we hypothesize that electrically charging GAC will increase the adsorption of PFAS. The objectives of the study are to: (1) Determine the adsorption capacities and rates of defined PFAS in a lab-scale, electrically-conductive GAC (e-GAC) device, (2) Modify a commercially available GAC filter housing to contain the e-GAC and demonstrate the ability of the device to remove PFAS from real waters, and (3) Promote education about the public and environmental health hazards of PFAS contaminants and the role of technology in securing safe and sustainable drinking water. To fulfill these objectives we will obtain off-the-shelf, point-of-use GAC filtration systems, modify them to become electrically active, and test their ability to remove PFAS from waters obtained from rural households in North Carolina that are currently challenged by PFAS-containing water.
The primary expected outcome from this effort is a new point-of-use treatment method for rural and urban communities that will reduce exposure to PFAS. An additional expected outcome is an improved public and student awareness of emerging water contaminants and treatment technologies. The expected outputs from this project will be: (1) experimental results on PFAS adsorption/desorption using the e-GAC technology, (2) new insight into the optimization of e-GAC design and operation, and (3) an e-GAC unit adapted to commercially-available filtration housing that can readily accept and treat water from the tap. Development of effective PFAS-removal technologies such as the e-GAC may minimize the human health risk that these contaminants present and lead to improvements in the prosperity of regions across the US that are currently affected by PFAS contamination.
Progress Summary:
To date, we have results for an initial eGAC design. Since the design is preliminary, we have data on its ability to reduce solution conductivity (using NaCl solutions), which is a proxy for ion removal. These data are relevant to the goals of the project because they help us benchmark the performance of the system and speed up the process of optimization. Once we complete this stage of the project, we will then test the ability of the eGAC to remove two different PFAS.
Future Activities:
For the next reporting period, our goal is to complete the modified objectives listed in response to item (1). We will continue modifying and testing the eGAC using a defined salt solution. Then we will test the ability of the eGAC filter to remove a defined solution containing a single PFAS. These plans are contingent upon receiving approval from the university for undergraduate researchers to conduct research in the environmental engineering lab. The work does not include human subjects research.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 2 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
PFAS, emerging contaminants, drinking water treatment, sustainable water management, point-of-useRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.