Materials and Methods for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Pre-Concentration, Detection, and Mitigation

The establishment of EPA’s new legally-enforceable levels for toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) underscored the need for their remediation and low-level detection. With unique porous structure and physio-chemical properties, mesoporous carbon (MC) is a promising candidate as an adsorbent to capture PFAS and a substrate to functionalize for improving their selectivity/performance. Despite this potential, a comprehensive study with MC or their modification for remediation and detection of PFAS is still lacking. In current work and field testing with regional water company, we evaluated the functionalization of MC with additional common chemicals. The functionalized materials significantly improve PFOA adsorption capacity compared to bare MC and commercial activated carbons. An improved thermal degradation of PFOA using these functionalized materials has also been demonstrated.