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

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 s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water research (Oxford) 2016-09, Vol.101, p.333-340
Main Authors: Ebersbach, Ina, Ludwig, Svenja M., Constapel, Marc, Kling, Hans-Willi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
6:2 Fluorotelomer sulfonic acid
Aerosols
Bubbles
Electroplating
Enrichment
Industrial wastewater
Per- and polyfluorinated alkylated substances
Perfluorooctanoic sulfonic acid
Sampling
Scavenging
Sulfonic acid
Sulfonic Acids
Waste Water
Wastewater treatment
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary: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. [Display omitted] •Removal of fluorosurfactants from a solution by aerosol-mediated separation.•High elimination rates (>99.8%) and half-lives of several minutes are possible.•Successful elimination could be accomplished for 6:2 FTSA, PFOS and PFOA.•Method was operated successfully with electroplating wastewater without sample preparation.
ISSN:0043-1354
1879-2448
DOI:10.1016/j.watres.2016.05.063