Treatment and Mitigation of PFAS in Drinking Water | AAAS EPI Center
technologies generally range from several hundred thousand dollars to millions of dollars in capital cost, depending on the amount of water that needs to be treated. Table 1 - PFAS Treatment Method Summary
PRIMARY PFAS REMOVAL METHOD
PFAS REMOVAL EFFECTIVENESS
RELATIVE COST b
TECHNOLOGY
PFAS REMOVED
PAC
Adsorption
Long-chain
< 80%
$
Long-chain and partial short-chain removal Long-chain and short-chain removal, depending on the resin used
GAC
Adsorption
66% to > 99% a
$$
Compound Exchange
IX
> 99%
$$
a
Separation or Size Exclusion
RO/NF $$$ a PFAS removal will decrease as GAC and IX operation continues, and GAC media or IX resin replacement will be required to achieve high removal rates again. b Cost is highly dependent on the size of the treatment facility. Promising New PFAS Treatment Methods Are In Development Long-chain and short-chain 90- > 99% There are several emerging and innovative methods for reducing PFAS in drinking water, including chemical oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, ozofractionation, sonolysis, and novel sorbents. Some of the most promising ones are in the early stages of development and may be several years away from implementation. Many of these applications are being explored in laboratories and will require large-scale evaluations before they can be used in water treatment facilities. Scientists are exploring additional approaches and technologies for development. Sonolysis uses sound waves to initiate chemical reactions in water and promote chemical combustion, but the process is energy intensive 35 . Ozofractionation , which uses a catalyzed reagent to aid in removal of PFAS, may be more feasible but it generates a waste stream. Research shows that chemical oxidation removes PFOA but is less effective for other PFAS. Electrochemical oxidation destroys PFAS and doesn’t produce a waste stream but is less effective at reducing short-chain PFAS. Photochemical oxidation has shown mixed results for PFAS removal when compared to sonolysis and chemical oxidation 36 . Novel sorbents have been used in soil remediation, and scientists are now exploring how they may be applied to drinking water treatment 37,38 . Hydrothermal reaction can result in up to 80% removal of PFOS in concentrate streams 39 . Lastly, plasma technologies can achieve moderate to high removal of PFAS, but plasma applications are limited and costly 40 . Key Takeaways PFAS cannot be removed by conventional water treatment technologies. Advanced treatment technologies exist, but they vary in their effectiveness in removing PFAS depending on the technology used, type of PFAS present, and level of other water quality parameters. Key takeaways from this fact sheet include:
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