US EPA

3358193 

Journal Article 

An alternative treatment method for fluorosurfactant-containing wastewater by aerosol-mediated separation 

Ebersbach, I; Ludwig, SM; Constapel, M; Kling, HW 

2016 

1 

Water Research
ISSN: 0043-1354
EISSN: 1879-2448 

101 

333-340 

English 

27286468 

10.1016/j.watres.2016.05.063 

WOS:000381169400035 

The treatment of fluorosurfactant-containing wastewater is still challenging nowadays. Here, a method is presented to remove fluorosurfactants from water, amongst others from electroplating wastewater. This elimination technique is based on the generation of gas bubbles in solution, enrichment and scavenging of fluorosurfactants by transport of the gas bubbles to the water surface. Finally the bubbles collapse and release an aerosol which is enriched with fluorosurfactants. By sampling of the released aerosols a mass balance was established for 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTSA). Thereby 99.8% of the initial amount was revocered in the collected aerosols. Fluorosurfactant concentration in solution decreased exponentially with half-lives ranging from 2 to 6 min for 6:2 FTSA as well as perfluorooctane carboxylate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Elimination rate in defined matrix (0.2 M H2SO4) within 60 min was 99.6, 99.9 and 99.8% for 6:2 FTSA, PFOA and PFOS, respectively. The removal rate of 6:2 FTSA increased in solutions with higher ionic strength. Different wastewater from an electroplating industry containing 6:2 FTSA was treated with the described method without any sample pre-treatment and elimination of 6:2 FTSA took place with the same effectiveness as in synthetic matrices. 

Per- and polyfluorinated alkylated substances; Perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid; 6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid; Industrial wastewater; Aerosols; Electroplating