Utilization of Dual-Stage ElectroFenton Wafer-Enhanced Electro-Deionization for Treatment of PFAS Compounds in Agricultural Environments.

The main goal of this project is to demonstrate and validate a highly efficient treatment technology to treat PFAS compounds in agricultural applications. To propel the technology forward and achieve the goal, we will answer the following research questions.1. Can a dual-stage WE-EDI/ElectroFenton system be constructed in the lab and used to sustainably remediate Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in synthetic agricultural wastewater?2. How much iron catalyst needs to be added to the reactor for complete mineralization of Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid(PFOS)? Does the form or state of the catalyst matter?3. Can a degradation rate of 90% compared to initial PFAS concentration be obtained for PFOA and PFOS compounds over a 24-hour period?4. Can a removal rate of 90% compared to initial concentration be obtained for fluoride and sulfate ions over 8, 16, and 24 hours?5. What is the stability of e-Fenton/WE-EDI, how does a scale up by a factor of 10 affect performance? How does scale up affect cost and reaction time? Does catalytic activity change?6. What is the maximum volume of water our technology can treat in a 24-hour period?Objectives that we are trying to achieve are:Fabrication, bench scale testing, and characterization of electro-Fenton and WE-EDI processesDegradation of PFAS and ion separationDemonstration of 10x scale up of proposed treatment system