Understanding PFAS Adsorption: How Molecular Structure Affects Sustainable Water Treatment
Open accessAbstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a broad group of synthetic chemicals characterized by strong carbon–fluorine bonds, making them highly persistent and widely distributed in the environment. Their chain length and functional head groups, such as sulfonate and carboxylate groups, determine key molecular properties like hydrophobicity, acidity, and sorption behavior. These properties significantly impact the effectiveness of PFAS removal from water systems. This review provides a structural classification of PFASs and explores removal strategies, with a particular emphasis on adsorption. It examines sustainable adsorbents, including both natural materials (e.g., cellulose, chitosan, lignin, and cyclodextrins) and engineered synthetic materials (e.g., covalent organic frameworks, metal–organic frameworks, and molecularly imprinted polymers). The discussion highlights important parameters such as chain length and functional chemistry, as these can greatly influence removal efficiency. Furthermore, the discussion addresses the adsorption mechanisms-such as electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic interaction, and fluorophilic interactions-to show how they contribute in different systems. By combining structural insights with adsorption performance data, this review aims to help design and select sustainable, high-performance adsorbents for efficiently reducing PFASs in contaminated water.
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The prevalence of PFCAs in water can be attributed to their comparatively higher aqueous solubility and decreased sediment affinity.
“Therefore, the prevalence of PFCAs in water can be attributed to their comparatively higher aqueous solubility and decreased sediment affinity.”
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Koongolla, J. B., Egodawatta, P., Goonetilleke, A., & Ayoko, G. A. (2026) · Journal of Hazardous Materials · doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.143434
- Authors
- Hamza, M., Ayinla, R. T., Elsayed, I., & Hassan, E. B.
- Affiliations
- Mississippi State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hassan, El Barbary
- Venue
- Environments
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2025-09-18
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 330
- ISSN
- 2076-3298 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4414330361
- Cited by
- 43
- References
- 15
- Citations by year
- 2026: 42 · 2025: 1
- FWCI
- 12.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Environments (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- McIntire Stennis project (7001735)
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin (7001735)
- 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 › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Environmental remediation with nanomaterials
- Keywords
- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFAS adsorption, PFAS removal from water, structure-property relationships, chain length, hydrophobicity, adsorption mechanism, electrostatic attraction, hydrophobic interactions, sustainable adsorbents, natural adsorbents, covalent organic frameworks, metal-organic frameworks, molecularly imprinted polymers, cellulose, chitosan, lignin, cyclodextrins, water treatment
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