Sumedh Kothari

CRITICAL REVIEW: TREATMENT METHODS FOR SHORT-CHAIN PFAS

Started Jan. 19, 2024

Abstract or project description

With global industries switching from long-chain per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to short-chain PFAS (C=4-7), short-chain PFAS are becoming a growing health concern. Short-chain PFAS have been detected in water throughout the world at concentrations exceedingly above regulatory standards, yet the majority of studies focus on the removal of long-chain PFAS. The main objective of this review is to provide a critical analysis on novel techniques for short-chain PFAS removal from water. The study looks at adsorption and membrane separation as the two primary treatment methods as well as the effects of external factors such as organic matter, pH, and ionic concentration. Overall, membranes such as nanofiltration and reverse osmosis that incorporated an adsorbent component performed the best when removing short-chain PFAS. However, further research needs to be completed on many removal techniques when it comes to testing real feedwater with additional contamination, such as the presence of organic matter.