2025 Young Chemist Award Winner
Congratulations to our 13th Annual Young Chemist Award winner, Elham Akbari!
Temple University
Research Title: Thermal Treatment of PFAS: Investigating Pathways to Effective Destruction
Summary: Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that are recognized for their distinctive properties. Their characteristics have resulted in their widespread application in various industrial, commercial, and consumer goods. Nevertheless, PFAS are recognized for their enduring presence in the environment and possible health hazards. Due to their resistance to degradation, these chemicals are commonly referred to as "forever chemicals." Therefore, they tend to accumulate in organisms and spread extensively throughout different ecosystems. The great mobility of PFAS presents difficulties in extracting them from water systems, while their intricate movement between different environments causes difficulties in effectively managing and reducing their contamination.
Conventional treatment technologies often fall short in effectively addressing PFAS contamination, resulting in incomplete removal or the formation of byproducts that may pose additional environmental and health risks. Adsorbents such as ion exchange resins and granular activated carbon (GAC) are widely used for PFAS removal. However, their disposal remains a significant drawback, as landfilling can lead to secondary pollution, and incineration, while more effective, may contribute to air pollution or result in the formation of products of incomplete combustion.
Generally, thermal degradation presents a promising pathway for the destruction of PFAS. When conducted at temperatures exceeding 500°C in oxygen-rich environments, this process breaks the robust carbon-fluorine bonds in PFAS, converting them into less hazardous byproducts such as carbon dioxide, water, and inorganic fluorides.
This research focuses on thermal treatment methods, with particular emphasis on the use of a supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) reactor. The study examines PFAS destruction in individual and mixed samples, as well as real-world samples from water utilities, under a range of operational conditions and residence times. The findings provide critical insights into the challenges, potential optimizations, and future directions for SCWO as a sustainable and efficient technology for large-scale PFAS remediation. The outcomes of this work aim to advance thermal treatment technologies, address critical knowledge gaps, and contribute to the development of scalable solutions for PFAS destruction.
