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HERO ID
5883625
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Electrochemical Oxidation of Hexafluoropropylene Oxide Dimer Acid (GenX): Mechanistic Insights and Efficient Treatment Train with Nanofiltration
Author(s)
Pica, NE; Funkhouser, J; Yin, Y; Zhang, Z; Ceres, DM; Tong, T; Blotevogel, J
Year
2019
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
ISSN:
0013-936X
EISSN:
1520-5851
Volume
53
Issue
21
Page Numbers
12602-12609
Language
English
PMID
31599577
DOI
10.1021/acs.est.9b03171
Web of Science Id
WOS:000495467500049
URL
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b03171
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Abstract
Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA, trade name GenX) is a perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acid (PFECA) that has been detected in watersheds around the world. Similar to other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), few processes are able to break HFPO-DA's persistent carbon-fluorine bonds. This study provides both experimental and computational lines of evidence for HFPO-DA mineralization during electrochemical oxidation at a boron-doped diamond anode with a low potential for the generation of stable organofluorine intermediates. Our density functional theory calculations consider the major operative mechanism, direct electron transfer, throughout the entire pathway. Initial oxidative attack does not break the ether bond, but leads to stepwise mineralization of the acidic side chain. Our mechanistic investigations reveal that hydroxyl radicals are unreactive toward HFPO-DA, while electrochemically activated sulfate facilitates its oxidation. Furthermore, we demonstrate that an NF90 membrane is capable of removing 99.5% of HFPO-DA from contaminated water. Electrochemical treatment of the nanofiltration rejectate is shown to reduce both energy and electrode costs by more than 1 order of magnitude compared to direct electrochemical treatment of the raw water. Overall, a nanofiltration-electrochemical oxidation treatment train is a sustainable destructive approach for the cost-effective elimination of HFPO-DA and other PFASs from contaminated water.
Tags
PFAS
•
Additional PFAS (formerly XAgency)
•
Expanded PFAS SEM (formerly PFAS 430)
Litsearch: September 2019
PubMed
Not prioritized for screening
3-(Perfluoroisopropyl)-(2E)-difluoropropenoic acid
Ammonium 4,8-dioxa-3H-perfluorononanoate
•
GenX Chemicals (CASRN 13252-13-6 and CASRN 62037-80-3)
LitSearch: GenX - Feb 2019-Oct 2019
PubMed
LitSearch: GenX Ammonium Salt - Feb 2019-Oct 2019
PubMed
•
PFAS 150
Literature Search Update December 2021
PubMed
Missing 2021 searches
Literature Search Update December 2020
PubMed
Literature Search August 2019
PubMed
Not prioritized for screening
Perfluoro-2-methyl-3-oxahexanoic acid
•
PFOA (335-67-1) and PFOS (1763-23-1)
LitSearch: Feb 2019 - May 2020
WoS
Literature Search Update (Apr 2019 - Sep 2020)
WOS
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