ERASE-PFAS: Collaborative Research: Transformation Mechanisms and Products of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances During Chemical Disinfection Processes

The project focuses on a group of pollutants known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Through their use in numerous applications, these chemicals have made their way into drinking water, thus posing potential risks to public health. The research team will study how PFAS react with other treatment chemicals during water disinfection. While water disinfection protects public health, transformation of PFAs into other potentially toxic chemicals represents an urgent issue. The project explores the reactions between PFAs and common disinfectants such as chlorine and ozone. The research thus addresses a crucial step in developing more effective water treatment methods and contributing to the overall health of communities nationwide. More broadly, the project will enhance public understanding of water treatment processes and promote STEM education, offering long-term benefits to society. The project goal is to determine the transformation mechanisms of PFAS (and their precursors) during conventional drinking water disinfection processes. Given the widespread presence of PFAS in drinking water sources and the potential health risks associated with these pollutants, understanding the behavior and breakdown of PFAS in response to common water-treatment disinfectants such as chlorine, chloramine, bromine, and ozone is paramount. Specifically, the project involves controlled laboratory experiments investigating the oxidation of polyfluorinated substances to more persistent perfluoroalkyl compounds under varied conditions. Effects of bromide ions, natural organic matter, and various disinfectants will be investigated. By integrating experimental results with computational chemistry analyses, the research will unravel the complex interplay of thermodynamic and kinetic factors influencing PFAS precursor transformations. Additionally, the feasibility of sorptive removal techniques for extracting PFAS precursors from water will be examined, potentially offering a practical remediation strategy. The project is poised to significantly advance our understanding of PFAS chemical stability and reactivity, thereby informing the development of more effective drinking water treatment solutions. Moreover, the project will generate valuable resources, such as an open-access database of disinfection byproducts, and contribute to the scientific community's knowledge base, addressing a critical gap in current PFAS research and regulation efforts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.