Use of High Pressure Membranes and Sorption-Based Processes for Complete Removal of PFAS in FAB Wastewater
ABSTRACT
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are utilized for many commercial and industrial purposes resulting in their near ubiquitous presence in the environment. Wastewater from FABs can have PFAS concentrations in the µg/L range together with a variety of organic co-contaminants and dissolved inorganic constituents. Elevated concentrations of effluent organic matter (EfOM), inorganic ions, and other organic co-contaminants present in wastewater have been shown to inhibit adsorptive removal of PFAS through blocking of or direct competition for sorption sites, resulting in frequent media replacement. Moreso, high pressure membranes have been shown to provide high rejection (>90-99%) of PFAS but may not be able achieve low ng/L PFAS in FAB effluent when utilized as the sole treatment step. This presentation will describe recent work in our lab evaluating a treatment train combining nanofiltration for initial removal of PFAS and EfOM with adsorptive treatment of the membrane permeate. This is anticipated to extend the lifetime of adsorptive media and provide complete removal of PFAS through a multi barrier process. Results from bench scale membrane experiments demonstrated the efficacy of several membrane products for removal of PFAS and EfoM in municipal and FAB wastewater. A pilot membrane system was also installed at a campus wastewater facility to evaluate treatment of a continuous wastewater source and supply effluent for subsequent sorption studies which demonstrated the importance of EfOM removal. Overall, these results suggest that combining membranes and sorption-based processes may provide an effective means for PFAS removal in a complex industrial wastewater.
BIOGRAPHY
Aron is a PhD Candidate in Environmental Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. His research focuses on the removal and destruction of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances using high pressure membranes and hydrothermal alkaline treatment. Aron received his bachelors from Penn State, masters from UC Berkeley, and worked for four years as a consulting engineer in municipal water and wastewater. Aron was recently awarded fellowships from the American Waterworks Association and the American Membrane Technology Association