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Journal article
PFAS Destruction in IX Still Bottoms with Plasma Vortex Technology
ACS ES & T water, v 5(5), pp 2110-2119
16 Apr 2025
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Abstract
The present study investigated the feasibility of remediating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-contaminated groundwater using a combined regenerable ion exchange (IX) and plasma treatment approach at Joint Base Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Approximately 1,200,000 L of groundwater was treated with regenerable IX, meeting the treatment goal of 20 nanograms per liter sum of perfluorooctanesulfonate, perfluorooctanoate, perfluorohexanesulfonate, perfluorononanoate, perfluorheptanoate, and perfluorodecanoate. After IX media regeneration with a solvent brine solution, 45 L of a distilled PFAS concentrate (“still bottom”) containing approximately 640 mg per liter total PFAS was recovered, representing an overall process concentration factor of approximately 30,000. A novel plasma vortex technology was employed to destroy the PFAS in the still bottom, which destroyed 97% of the PFAS initially present in a 25% diluted still bottoms, with 99% of the destroyed PFAS recovered as inorganic fluoride. The energy consumption of the plasma vortex process treating the dilute still bottoms was 1885 kW h/m3, or 12,140 kW h/kg PFAS destroyed. The treated still bottom was further reduced to nondetectable PFAS levels using reverse osmosis (RO) treatment, with the RO retentate returned to the plasma treatment system, thus creating a completely closed loop for plasma-treated regenerant waste with no liquid discharge.
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Details
- Title
- PFAS Destruction in IX Still Bottoms with Plasma Vortex Technology
- Creators
- Richard J. HigginsHyoungSup KimErika HoutzPaul R. NewmanDaniel CaseyYoung I Cho (Corresponding Author) - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- ACS ES & T water, v 5(5), pp 2110-2119
- Publisher
- ACS Publications
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Air Force Civil Engineer Center: FA 8649-22-P-0688 U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center Broad Agency Announcement
This project was funded by the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center Broad Agency Announcement under Contract FA 8649-22-P-0688. The authors thank Rose Forbes, Kimberly Gill and Louis Baerga of the U.S. Air Force for their support during the field demonstration and valuable input in preparing the manuscript.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001468566900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105003775627
- Other Identifier
- 991022047817604721
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- Web of Science research areas
- Environmental Sciences
- Water Resources