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Modeling PFAS Removal Using Granular Activated Carbon for Full-Scale System Design
Citation:
Burkhardt, J., N. Burns, D. Mobley, J. Pressman, M. Magnuson, AND T. Speth. Modeling PFAS Removal Using Granular Activated Carbon for Full-Scale System Design. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING. American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Reston, VA, 148(3):04021086, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001964
Impact/Purpose:
This manuscript discusses performance modeling results for the use of granular activated carbon (GAC) for the treatment of source waters contaminated by PFAS chemicals. This research presents model parameters for sixteen PFAS chemicals for five carbons. This work demonstrates the process of analyzing pilot results to predict full-scale performance for the removal of PFAS in a plant design or assessment phase. This work also highlights the use of a design objective for predicting carbon replacement intervals, which is important for treatment cost assessments. This work will provide a significant impact by assisting communities in understanding the effectiveness of GAC for PFAS removal and expanding the potential of piloting by water utilities. This work provides data that can be used by systems to predict preliminary treatment effectiveness if influent PFAS concentrations are known for their site. This work also highlights the automated process for calculating these parameters, which will help to provide consistent modeling of PFAS treatment data, and a full-scale multi-bed system prediction to better understand real-world outcomes.
Description:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasingly of interest to drinking water utilities due to state regulations, the release of federal and state health advisories, and public concern. Very little information is available for the removal of PFAS from drinking water, especially under different water conditions. Pilot-scale data from multiple granular activated carbons was fit to a pore and surface diffusion model using automated routines to predict the impact of different influent conditions, column configurations and flow rates on treatment performance. The results show that under the variable water qualities evaluated and the removal goals chosen, GAC can be an effective treatment technology for PFAS removal. Also, the modeling effort gave the utility confidence that changes in production capacity and influent concentrations can be managed into the future.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Modeling PFAS Removal Using Granular Activated Carbon for Full-Scale System Design
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