The use of a fluorine mass balance to demonstrate the mineralization of PFAS by high frequency and high power ultrasound

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2024

Abstract

High-frequency ultrasound (sonolysis) has been shown as a practical approach for mineralizing PFAS in highly concentrated PFAS waste. However, a fluorine mass balance approach showing complete mineralization for ultrasound treatment has not been elucidated. The impact of ultrasonic power density (W/L) and the presence of co-occurring PFAS on the degradation of individual PFAS are not well understood. In this research, the performance of a 10L sonochemical reactor was assessed for treating synthetic high-concentration PFAS waste with carboxylic and sulfonic perfluoroalkyl surfactants ranging in chain length from four to eight carbons at three different initial concentrations: 6, 55, 183 μM. The mass balance for fluorine was performed using three analytical techniques: triple quadrupole liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, a fluoride ion selective electrode, and 19F nuclear magnetic resonance. The test results showed near complete mineralization of PFAS in the waste without the formation of intermediate fluorinated by-products. The PFAS mineralization efficiency of the sonolysis treatment at two different power densities for similar initial concentrations were almost identical; the G value at 145 W/L was 9.7*10−3 g/kWh, whereas the G value at 90 W/L was 9.3*10−3 g/kWh. The results of this study highlight the implications for the scalability of the sonolytic process to treat high-concentration PFAS waste.

Identifier

85183948646 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Chemosphere

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141270

e-ISSN

18791298

ISSN

00456535

PubMed ID

38280651

Volume

352

Grant

2016168 I-Corps

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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