Role of air bubbles overlooked in the adsorption of perfluorooctanesulfonate on hydrophobic carbonaceous adsorbents
Abstract
Hydrophobic interaction has been considered to be responsible for adsorption of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) on the surface of hydrophobic adsorbents, but the long C-F chain in PFOS is not only hydrophobic but also oleophobic. In this study, for the first time we propose that air bubbles on the surface of hydrophobic carbonaceous adsorbents play an important role in the adsorption of PFOS. The level of adsorption of PFOS on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphite (GI), graphene (GE), and powdered activated carbon (PAC) decreases after vacuum degassing. Vacuum degassing time and pressure significantly affect the removal of PFOS by these adsorbents. After vacuum degassing at 0.01 atm for 36 h, the extent of removal of PFOS by the pristine CNTs and GI decreases 79% and 74%, respectively, indicating the main contribution of air bubbles to PFOS adsorption. When the degassed solution is recontacted with air during the adsorption process, the removal of PFOS recovers to the value obtained without vacuum degassing, further verifying the key role of air bubbles in PFOS adsorption. By theoretical calculation, the distribution of PFOS in air bubbles on the adsorbent surfaces is discussed, and a new schematic sorption model of PFOS on carbonaceous adsorbents in the presence of air bubbles is proposed. The accumulation of PFOS at the interface of air bubbles on the adsorbents is primarily responsible for its adsorption, providing a new mechanistic insight into the transport, fate, and removal of PFOS.
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PFAAs can bind to air-water interfaces, where the hydrophobic tail sticks into the air phase.
“PFAAs can also bind to air-water interfaces (Brusseau, 2019), where the hydrophobic tail sticks into the air phase (Meng et al., 2014).”
From Perfluoroalkyl acids on suspended particles: Significant transport pathways in surface runoff, surface waters, and subsurface soils (2021) · cites this paper as Meng et al., 2014
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- Authors
- Meng, P., Deng, S., Lu, X., Du, Z., Wang, B., Huang, J., Wang, Y., Yu, G., & Xing, B.
- Affiliations
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (CN)
- University of Massachusetts Amherst (US)
- Corresponding author
- Deng, Shubo
- Venue
- Environmental Science & Technology
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Published
- 2014-11-13
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 13785-13792
- ISSN
- 0013-936X (ISSN-L)
- 1520-5851
- OpenAlex
- W2332202508
- Cited by
- 103
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 3.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Environmental Science & Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (21177070)
- Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China (2013AA06A3)
- Ministry of Environmental Protection
- 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 › Materials Science › Surfaces, Coatings and Films › Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
- Keywords
- PFOS, air bubbles, vacuum degassing, carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphene, powdered activated carbon, oleophobicity, adsorption mechanism, sorption models, PFOS removal
- MeSH terms
- Adsorption, Air, Charcoal, Fluorocarbons, Water Pollutants, Chemical, Alkanesulfonic Acids, Nanotubes, Carbon, Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
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