A Study Of The Adsorption Of PFOA On Selected Adsorbents

PFCs are anthropogenic industrial compounds used in many applications, including surface coatings, surfactants, and flame retardants. They are, however, emerging contaminants due to their recalcitrant nature; they are persistent and very stable in air, water, and soil environments. As a result of their environmental stability, PFCs have been detected in water and soil samples all over the globe, and they have been reported as bio-accumulative, with detectable concentrations in humans and in animals. For reasons of their stability and bio-accumulative nature, and for possible health effects on humans, PFOA has been added to Annex B of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Contaminants.
In this research, the adsorption of PFOA has been studied using both commercially-available and lab-synthesized adsorbents. In addition, the effects of pH, ionic strength, and the presence of other organic chemicals on the adsorption of PFOA on selected adsorbents was studied.