Sorbent for Removal of Perfluorinated Compounds from Water

Technology

The widespread distribution of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the environment has ignited health concerns and has caused the government to set stricter standards of acceptable PFC concentration in municipal water. In 2009 the EPA published that only values of 0.4 µg/L for PFOA and 0.2 µg/L for PFOS are acceptable in drinking water. The decreased standard raises a need for better perfluorocarbon water filtration technology. Technology Description: Faculty at the University of Arizona have proposed a sorbent to effectively remove perfluorinated compounds from water. The sorbent is a combination of two hydrophobic cationic polymers with structural modifications to enhance electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with perfluorinated compounds. The polymers have the ability to remove PFCs in two ways: through ion exchange and hydrophobic interactions. The sorbent’s ability to remove negatively charged and hydrophobic perfluorinated compounds optimize their filtration effectiveness. Applications: 1) Water treatment plants 2) Ground soil through polymer injection 3) Home water filters 4) Food/beverage companies 5) Any other area in which water purification is necessary.

Benefits

Effectively removes perfluorinated compounds from water.

Date of release