(539b) Adsorption and Degradation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid

PFCs are anthropogenic industrial compounds used in many applications, including surface coatings, surfactants, and flame retardants.  They are, however, emerging contaminants due to their recalcitrant nature; they are persistent and very stable in air, water, and soil environments.  As a result of their environmental stability, PFCs have been detected in water and soil samples all over the globe, and they have been reported as bioaccumulative, with detectable concentrations in humans and in animals.  For reasons of their stability and bioaccumulative nature, and for possible health effects on humans, PFOA has been added to Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Contaminants.

In this research, the adsorption of PFOA has been studied using both commercially-available and lab-synthesized adsorbents in combination with both biocatalysts and inorganic catalysts.   Immobilizing PFOA using adsorption combined with chemical or enzymatic degradation of PFOA was investigated and found to be superior to each technology alone.