Investigating Electrocatalytic and Catalytic Approaches for in situ Treatment of Perfluoroalkyl Contaminants in Groundwater
Abstract
The overall goal of this research was to develop and assess oxidative electrocatalytic and reductive catalytic approaches for treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) associated with aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) in groundwater. Results of the electrochemical (EC) experiments showed that defluorination of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) PFAAs occurred in AFFF-impacted waters. and resulted in substantial defluorination. The generation of perchlorate, though treatable with subsequent biological reduction, was a notable unwanted reaction product. Results from Vitamin B12 catalyzed experiments showed that both a biogenic cobalt-corrin complex (B12) and an artificial cobalt-porphyrin complex (Co-PP) catalytically defluorinated multiple C-F bonds in branched PFAS, but were unreactive with linear PFAS structures. Results of the UV-sulfite experiments demonstrated that a wide range of PFAS in AFFF were transformed upon generation of hydrated electrons, but that apparent reaction rates were heavily dependent upon PFAS structure.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 04, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1134923
Entities
People
- Charles E Schaefer
- Christina Andaya
- Christopher P Higgins
- P. L. Ferguson
- Timothy J Strathmann