Grantee Research Project Results
Hybrid filtration/AOP membrane process for point of use PFAS removal from drinking water
EPA Grant Number: SU840403Title: Hybrid filtration/AOP membrane process for point of use PFAS removal from drinking water
Investigators: Fidalgo, Maria , Lin, Chung-Ho
Current Investigators: Fidalgo, Maria , Lin, Chung-Ho , Green, Jake , Krumm, Alec , Hsu, Shu-Yu
Institution: University of Missouri - Columbia
EPA Project Officer: Harper, Jacquelyn
Phase: I
Project Period: July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: 18th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Description:
PFAS have been used in industrial applications for many decades; due to their high stability, they can accumulate in the environment and have now been detected worldwide in water and animals. As suspected endocrine disruptors and cancerogenic compounds, EPA has issued a health advisory level of 70 ppt for combined concentrations of the 2 of the most common PFAS. However, PFAS are not removed by traditional water treatment process and previously proposed approaches are usually cumbersome, use harsh conditions or rare and expensive chemicals, and require technical training to operate. These characteristics make them unsuitable for point of use, or small scale applications. The objective of this project is to design, fabricate and test a point use treatment system with capabilities for the removal of PFAS that can operate off the grid and have low energy demand and minimal added chemical consumption, at affordable cost.
Approach:
We propose to develop a modular, stand alone, lost cost treatment unit, that can be built with broadly available materials and does not require additional supplies. The system consists on an iron oxide coated alumina tubular ceramic filter in a continuous filtration set up with recirculation. The filter, an ultrafiltration membrane, separates contaminant by size, adsorbs smalls molecules on the ceramic surface and catalyzes the chemical oxidation of organic contaminants through Fenton-type reactions. The membrane is fabricated in our laboratory through a simple process using low cost, widely available supplies; the system operates at low pressure with light-emitting diodes (LED) as the UV light source, resulting in minimal energy demands.
The educational benefits of the project will be directed to undergraduate students at the University of Missouri. The participation in the project will provide experiential learning opportunities for students obtaining the Engineering Sustainability minor at MU.
Expected Results:
The expected output of this project is a novel process for the degradation of persistent organic contaminants in drinking water that is low cost, environmentally benign, easy to operate and can be built with simple materials. Such a system is a unique approach to the provision of drinking water when small rural municipalities or individual household water sources are contaminated with PFAS. The compact unit can be mounted and operated in a small van or truck, for mobile applications.
The outcome of this work is an improvement in drinking water quality for the affected population, therefore maintaining human health while preserving the environment by using environmentally benign materials and supplies in the treatment, and minimizing the energy intensity of the process.
Contribution to Pollution Prevention or Control: There are currently no simple, effective and sustainable treatments for PFAS removal at the point of use. Our proposed system will contribute to the health of rural populations that do not have access to drinking water distribution systems, and can be deployed for mobile uses.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
PFAS contamination, drinking water, advanced oxidation processes, point of use treatmentProgress and Final Reports:
P3 Phase II:
Hybrid Filtration/Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) Membrane Process for Point of Use PFAS Removal from Drinking WaterThe 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.