Grantee Research Project Results
2024 Progress Report: Biochar-Enabled Platform for Enhanced Destruction and Defluorination of Short-Chain Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Water
EPA Grant Number: SU840873Title: Biochar-Enabled Platform for Enhanced Destruction and Defluorination of Short-Chain Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Water
Investigators: Jafarinejad, Shahryar , Wang, Dengjun
Institution: Tuskegee University , University of Florida
EPA Project Officer: Ludwig-Monty, Sarah
Phase: I
Project Period: January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2024 through December 31,2024
Project Amount: $75,000
RFA: 20th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet Request for Applications (RFA) (2023) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: PFAS Detection , Urban Air Toxics , Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil/Water , Environmental Justice , Clean Water , P3 Awards , PFAS Treatment , Environment
Objective:
Removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water is recognized as one of the deepest challenges facing us. The overarching goal of this project is to develop a cost-effective and sustainable biochar-enabled platform for the deep destruction and defluorination of PFAS in water by UV-ARP technique with three objectives:
1. Objective 1: Synthesize, characterize, and select the best biochar-enabled platforms.
2. Objective 2: Investigate the effects of water matrices on the destruction and defluorination of PFAS by the best biochar-enabled platforms.
3. Objective 3: Regenerate and reuse the biochar-enabled platforms for PFAS degradation to further lower the treatment costs and achieve sustainability, while minimizing the environmental footprint of the treatment platform.
Progress Summary:
Four biochars (one pristine and three modified biochars by iron oxide, chitosan, and iron-chitosan) were synthesized and characterized for their physicochemical properties related to PFAS sorption and destruction. The four biochars were then tested for their sorption performance of both long-chain (PFOA and PFOS) and short-chain (PFBA and PFBS) PFAS in water. Afterwards, the biochars were used in combination with advanced reduction process (ARP) in a UV/sulfite system for PFAS destruction in water. Our results showed that modified biochars exhibited higher sorption efficiency for PFAS, especially for the chitosan modified biochar. Both sorption and destruction efficiencies of PFAS were greatly affected by solution pH with higher pH inhibiting PFAS sorption. In contrast, higher pH enhanced PFAS destruction in UV/sulfite, due to greater production of hydrated electrons (eaq–) responsible for PFAS destruction. Increased dosage of sulfite also increased PFAS destruction due again to the greater production of eaq– during ARP. Our findings suggest that the chitosan-modified biochars are good candidates for PFAS sorption and destruction by ARP in the UV/sulfite system.
Future Activities:
- Continue testing and optimizing the biochar-enabled platform for enhanced PFAS sorption and destruction under environmentally relevant conditions.
- Continue training/mentoring of two chemical engineering undergraduate graduates from Tuskegee University in PI Wang’s laboratory at University of Florida.
- Publish papers in peer-reviewed journals, present project findings at conferences, and disseminate project findings at the Alabama black belt regions
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 3 publications | 2 publications in selected types | All 2 journal articles |
|---|
| Type | Citation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Jafarinejad S, He J, Wang D. Regeneration of biochars (pristine and modified/engineered) and economic analysis of their use in the removal of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water/wastewater. Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 2025;19(2):1-3. |
SU840873 (2024) |
not available |
|
|
Song Z, He J, Kouzehkanan SM, Oh TS, Olshansky Y, Duin EC, Carroll KC, Wang D. Enhanced sorption and destruction of PFAS by biochar-enabled advanced reduction process. Chemosphere. 2024 Sep 1;363:142760. |
SU840873 (2024) |
Exit |
Supplemental Keywords:
Drinking water, short-chain PFAS, biochars, hydrated electrons, advanced reduction process, degradation, defluorination, and water treatment.Relevant Websites:
The 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.