The use of carbon adsorbents for the removal of perfluoroalkyl acids from potable reuse systems
Abstract
Bench- and pilot-scale sorption tests were used to probe the performance of several biochars at removing perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA) from field waters, compared to granular activated carbon (GAC). Screening tests using organic matter-free water resulted in hardwood (HWC) (K d = 41 L g -1 ) and pinewood (PWC) (K d = 49 L g -1 ) biochars having the highest perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) removal performance that was comparable to bituminous coal GAC (K d = 41 L g -1 ). PWC and HWC had a stronger affinity for PFOA sorbed in Lake Mead surface water (K F = 11 mg (1-n) L n g -1 ) containing a lower (2 mg L -1 ) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration than in a tertiary-filtered wastewater (K F = 8 mg (1-n) L n g -1 ) with DOC of 4.9 mg L -1 . A pilot-scale study was performed using three parallel adsorbers (GAC, anthracite, and HWC biochar) treating the same tertiary-filtered wastewater. Compared to HWC, and anthracite, GAC was the most effective in mitigating perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPnA), perfluorohexanoic acid (PHxA), PFOA, perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), and DOC (45-67% removed at 4354 bed volumes) followed by HWC, and then anthracite. Based on bench- and pilot-scale results, shorter-chain PFAA [perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), PFPnA, or PFHxA] were more difficult to remove with both biochar and GAC than the longer-chain, PFOS and PFOA.
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Previous studies have reported mixed results with GAC and biochar, with some reporting more effective removal of PFOA and PFOS by GAC than biochar, particularly in the presence of organic matter, while others report biochar performing as well or better than GAC.
“Previous studies have reported mixed results with GAC and biochar with some studies reporting more effective removal of PFOA and PFOS by GAC than biochar,26 particularly in the presence of organic matter,32 while others report biochar performing as well or better than GAC.25”
From Evaluation of sorbents and matrix effects for treating heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as co-contaminants in stormwater (2023) · cites this paper as [32]
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“In the 270 presence of OM such as in WW, slow kinetics for PFAA sorption can be attributed to a 271 diffusion-controlled transport into the pores of the sorbent, or partitioning on pre-loaded 272 OM on the sorbent (Higgins & Luthy, 2006; Inyang & Dickenson, 2015; Wang & Shih, 273 2011).”
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- Authors
- Inyang, M., & Dickenson, E. R. V.
- Affiliations
- Southern Nevada Water Authority (US)
- Corresponding author
- Inyang, Mandu
- Dickenson, Eric R.V.
- Venue
- Chemosphere
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-10
- Volume
- 184
- Pages
- 168-175
- ISSN
- 0045-6535 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2620376440
- Cited by
- 186
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 44 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 4.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Chemosphere (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Water Environment and Reuse Foundation (WE&RF 13-10)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Water Treatment and Disinfection
- Keywords
- perfluoroalkyl acids, biochar, granular activated carbon, adsorption, potable reuse, perfluorooctanoic acid, PFOS, dissolved organic carbon, wastewater treatment, sorption isotherms
- MeSH terms
- Adsorption, Caproates, Caprylates, Carbon, Charcoal, Fluorocarbons, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Water Purification, Wastewater
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