This document summarizes research on the sorption of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) to treated activated carbons. The purpose was to evaluate how pretreatment of activated carbons with HCl, NaOH, and hydrogen peroxide affected the absorption rates of PFOA and PFHxS. Testing showed that NaOH increased sorption for some carbons as expected, but not all. Hydrogen peroxide greatly improved sorption for coconut-based carbon. Further study is recommended to better understand effects of pretreatments and carbon properties on sorption behavior.

1. 1
Strategic Environmental Research and Development
Program
Environmental Security Technology Certification Program

2. Perfluorinated Compound
(PFC) Sorption to Treated
Activated Carbons (AC)
Emily H. Daniels A.S.
Dinusha Siriwardena M.S. , PhD Canidate
Dr. Thomas Holsen
Dr. Michelle Crimi
2

3. Overview
Who I am
Background on PFCs
The Purpose
The Hypothesis
The Methods
Data/Analysis
The Results
Discussion/Conclusion
Broader Impact
Recommendations for further study
3

4. What’s Sorption???
ADSORPTION
+ ABSORPTION
______________
= SORPTION
4

5. Background
★ The sorption of PFCs is
dependent upon the
○ other organic or
inorganic compounds
present
○ the type of ACs used for
sorption
○ activation and treatment
method
○ and much more!
■pH, pHpzc, porosity,
pore area, surface
area, etc.

6. Technical Objectives
The objective of our research is to evaluate the
feasibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of a
treatment train approach:
In Situ Chemical Oxidation of Sorbed Contaminants (ISCO-SC)
Activated carbon for in situ sorption and
concentration of PFCs, followed by
contaminant destruction and carbon
regeneration by in situ chemical oxidation
using activated persulfate
6

7. Technical Approach
7
Task 1
Sorption
Task 2
Vary GW
Task 3
Enhancements
Task 4
Regeneration
Task 5
Byproducts
Task 6
Tool
Task 7
Sustainability
GO/NO GO Decisions: 4. Confirm sorption under typical conditions.
5&6. Confirm feasibility of carbon regeneration via oxidation.
January, 2015
March, 2016
Completion:
Task 1 03/16
Task 2 03/16
Task 3 12/15
Task 4 03/16
Task 5 06/16
Task 6 09/16
Task 7 12/16
June-July, 2015

8. My Purpose
Determine the effects treatment of activated carbons will have on
the sorption of a mixture of PFOA and PFHxS at two different
concentrations.
★HCl
★NaOH
★Hydrogen Peroxide catalyzed with Fe(III)

9. Task 1. Sorption
Task 1 Characterize sorption of PFCs and co-contaminants (individually and in
mixture) at varied concentrations onto varied sources of activated carbon and
develop sorption models describing their behavior.
9
Are particular sources of granular activated carbon (GAC) more
favorable for sorbing PFCs?

10. Hypothesis
Pretreatment of activated carbons will affect the absorption rates of the PFOA and
PFHxS compounds in the wastewater.
★NaOH should increase the sorption ability of the GAC (according to Martins, 2015).
★HCl not affect or negatively the GAC because of the hydrogen doesn’t attract the
PFOA and PFHxS open oxygen as much as the hydroxide on the NaOH.
★Hydrogen peroxide catalyzed with Fe(III) could possibly attract the hydroxyl group
on the end of the PFOA and PFHxS.

11. Methods
1. GAC cleaned and crushed
2. Obtained 1 M solution HCl and NaOH (separately)
3. 100 mg of GAC was measured into 50 mL centrifuge tube
4. Agitate solution for 48 hours at 8 rpm
5. Take samples using 3mL syringe and a 13mm syringe filter with a 0.2 micrometer
nylon membrane ( HPLC certified)
6. Samples were analyzed by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatograph
equipped with a quadrupole time-of-flight
mass spectrometer (UPLC-QToF)

12. Data/Results
2 Day and 5 Day
ABBREVIATIONS:
AC: Activated Carbon- (Type 4-Calgon carbon Filtrasorb
F400(coal base), Type 6-Jacobi Carbon-Omni-G (coal
base), Type 7-Calgon (Coconut base carbon))
T##A_#: T(type), #: AC , #: concentration, A: treatment
method, _#: sample number
PFOA: perfluorooctanoic acid
PFHxS: tetradecafluorohexane -1- sulfonic acid potassium
salt
-or-
Perfluorohexanesulfonic Acid

13. Data/Analysis
HCl is not an effective
treatment method for
any
NaOH is still good for
T6, but seem less
affective for T6 here
H2O2 is highly affective
for T7

14. Data/Analysis
NaOH staying strong for
T4, looking week for T6.
The values for T73N_2
are indicating an
injection issue with the
UPLC
H2O2 is consistently the
best for T7.

15. Data/Analysis
NaOH is back on top
for T6 and is great for
T4, and looks like a
machine/human error
for T7
H2O2 is positive for T7

16. Data/Analysis
NaOH is affective
on T4 and T7, but
not so much on
T6
H2O2 is only
effective on T7

17. Conclusions
HCl
➔ Did not improve sorption
NaOH
➔ Martins 2015 was right, but it doesn’t increase the
sorption amount for all carbons
H2O2 Catalyzed with Fe(III)
➔ Works amazingly with T7 (Coconut Based Carbon) GAC

18. Further Study
Understand the ACs properties (color, chemical
composition, reactions) and their sorption habits
Look at the pH, and temperature for the HCl, why
was is so ineffective?
Test further ACs with similar properties and compare
their reactions and sorption Kinetics

19. Broader Impacts
• Weaken hydrogen bonds
– ruining species that live on top of the
water
• Hazardous to organisms and vital organs
– cancers, diseases
Microwave popcorn bags can contain residual
PFOA from fluorotelomers

20. Big Thanks To
CUPO at Clarkson University
My Advisors: Michelle Crimi, Thomas Holsen, Christopher Bellona
My Mentor: Dinusha P. Siriwardena
CSTEP/LSAMP at OCC

21. Questions...

22. References
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