- Title
- Removal of PFAS from aqueous solution using PbO2 from lead-acid battery
- Creator
- Fang, Cheng; Sobhani, Zahra; Niu, Junfeng; Naidu, Ravi
- Relation
- Chemosphere Vol. 219, Issue March 2019, p. 36-44
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.11.206
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2019
- Description
- Whilst advanced electrochemical oxidation can break down per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the requirement for expensive electrode materials usually prevents its widespread application. Here we use an industrial material of lead peroxide (PbO2) from a lead-acid battery to break down PFAS including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (6:2 FTS). By optimising the PbO2 panel (activating and doping) and working conditions including supporting electrolyte (1 L 10 mM Na2SO4), initial concentration (10 μM), temperature (room temperature), current density (5 A for a 10 cm x 10 cm PbO2 panel) etc., we successfully remove > 99% PFAS (individual PFAS monitored via HPLC-MS) whilst mineralising ∼59% PFOA (defluorination, F− released and monitored via F-ISE, fluoride-ion selective electrode). By studying the pseudo-first-order kinetics of the PFAS breakdown (0.0028–0.007 min−1) and defluorination (0.84–5.9 x 10−8 min−1), we assign the difference to the adsorption of PFAS on the PbO2 panel and the appearance of intermediates before the full defluorination. The leaked HF gas (∼10−5 M, collected using 0.25 L 0.1 M NaOH) and Pb2+ (∼12 μM, or ∼ 2.5 ppm) are also confirmed. This study employs an economic industrial material, highlights the contribution of adsorption towards the PFAS removal and breakdown, and identifies the possible leakage of secondary contaminants.
- Subject
- PFAS; lead peroxide; removal; adsorption; defluorination
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1443674
- Identifier
- uon:42070
- Identifier
- ISSN:0045-6535
- Language
- eng
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