PFOA and PFOS removal by ion exchange for water reuse and drinking applications: role of organic matter characteristics

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are drinking water contaminants of emerging concern due to their persistence in the environment and tendency to bio-accumulate. Although anionic ion exchange (IX) resins offer a cost-effective alternative for removing PFAS from natural waters, the studies on PFAS removal by IX under the influence of variable characteristics of the organic compounds present in the natural water sources, have been overlooked. This is critically important given that the organic matter (OM) characteristics are spatially variable and can change seasonally. In the present study, a strongly basic anion exchange resin was used to remove two of the most persistent PFAS, namely per-fluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and per-fluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Factors influencing the uptake behavior included the PFOA and PFOS concentrations, resin dosage, and background OM characteristics, more specifically the charge density and molecular weight distribution of source water OM. The equivalent background concentration (EBC) was employed to evaluate the competitive uptake between OM and PFAS. Experimental data were fitted to different mathematical and physical models to evaluate the competitive interactions. Further, IX was able to achieve complete PFAS removal with simultaneous >60% dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal. Evidence of size exclusion and pore blockage was also observed in the presence of humics and larger molecular weight organic fractions. Results of this study indicate that IX exhibits great potential for simultaneous OM and PFAS removal for drinking and potable water reuse applications.