Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of 14,000+ manmade chemicals, containing at least one fully fluorinated alkyl moiety (CF2) with varying chain length. Due to their distinct properties (e.g., hydrophobicity, oleophobicity, and thermal stability), PFAS have been widely used in commercial products and industrial applications, such as nonstick cookware, textiles, food packaging, and firefighting foams. PFAS have recently garnered global concerns due to their ubiquity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity to human health and the environment. Especially, PFAS exposure at very low concentrations has been linked to a wide variety of adverse human health effects, such as endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental toxicity, brain toxicity, and kidney cancer. Unfortunately, PFAS have been widely detected in all environmental media, including air, water, soil, and sediment. PFAS remediation is extremely challenging since the carbon-fluorine (C-F) bond is one of the strongest bonds in nature. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued the regulation of several high-priority PFAS compounds in drinking water, further highlighting the importance of developing cost-effective and efficient technologies for PFAS remediation.
The goal of this Research Topic is to solicit recent research and demonstration advancements on the remediation of PFAS in the environment, including conventional PFAS as well as new emerging PFAS (e.g., parent compounds, also called precursors). Remediation technologies include both non-destructive and destructive approaches, with the former being sorption- (by granular activated carbon, biochar, polymer, etc.), ion resin exchange-, and nanofiltration-enabled treatment. The destructive technologies include thermal and hydrothermal treatments, supercritical water oxidation, electrochemical oxidation and reduction, advanced oxidation and reduction processes, photocatalysis, and also biological processes (e.g., microorganisms and enzyme-driven processes). Especially, treatment train technologies integrating different non-destructive and destructive technologies are desirable, since the coupled treatment train technologies could achieve a deeper and more efficient destruction of different PFAS with structure heterogeneities. To that end, tuning the operational parameters of different modules within the treatment train technologies is needed to achieve enhanced performance of PFAS remediation. Laboratory-, pilot-, and field-scale treatment and demonstration are all welcomed. Data analysis and prediction using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are also within the theme of this Research Topic for the development of optimized treatment technologies to combat PFAS pollution.
We welcome original research articles, case studies, data analysis, and reviews that contribute to advancing our current understanding of PFAS remediation in the environment. Manuscripts should present novel insights, methodologies, data analytics, or applications relevant to the themes outlined above. Submissions should adhere to the formatting and submission guidelines provided by Frontiers in Environmental Engineering. Please direct any topic related questions to the editors.
Keywords:
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), Pollution Remediation, Technology Environment
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of 14,000+ manmade chemicals, containing at least one fully fluorinated alkyl moiety (CF2) with varying chain length. Due to their distinct properties (e.g., hydrophobicity, oleophobicity, and thermal stability), PFAS have been widely used in commercial products and industrial applications, such as nonstick cookware, textiles, food packaging, and firefighting foams. PFAS have recently garnered global concerns due to their ubiquity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity to human health and the environment. Especially, PFAS exposure at very low concentrations has been linked to a wide variety of adverse human health effects, such as endocrine disruption, reproductive and developmental toxicity, brain toxicity, and kidney cancer. Unfortunately, PFAS have been widely detected in all environmental media, including air, water, soil, and sediment. PFAS remediation is extremely challenging since the carbon-fluorine (C-F) bond is one of the strongest bonds in nature. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued the regulation of several high-priority PFAS compounds in drinking water, further highlighting the importance of developing cost-effective and efficient technologies for PFAS remediation.
The goal of this Research Topic is to solicit recent research and demonstration advancements on the remediation of PFAS in the environment, including conventional PFAS as well as new emerging PFAS (e.g., parent compounds, also called precursors). Remediation technologies include both non-destructive and destructive approaches, with the former being sorption- (by granular activated carbon, biochar, polymer, etc.), ion resin exchange-, and nanofiltration-enabled treatment. The destructive technologies include thermal and hydrothermal treatments, supercritical water oxidation, electrochemical oxidation and reduction, advanced oxidation and reduction processes, photocatalysis, and also biological processes (e.g., microorganisms and enzyme-driven processes). Especially, treatment train technologies integrating different non-destructive and destructive technologies are desirable, since the coupled treatment train technologies could achieve a deeper and more efficient destruction of different PFAS with structure heterogeneities. To that end, tuning the operational parameters of different modules within the treatment train technologies is needed to achieve enhanced performance of PFAS remediation. Laboratory-, pilot-, and field-scale treatment and demonstration are all welcomed. Data analysis and prediction using artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) are also within the theme of this Research Topic for the development of optimized treatment technologies to combat PFAS pollution.
We welcome original research articles, case studies, data analysis, and reviews that contribute to advancing our current understanding of PFAS remediation in the environment. Manuscripts should present novel insights, methodologies, data analytics, or applications relevant to the themes outlined above. Submissions should adhere to the formatting and submission guidelines provided by Frontiers in Environmental Engineering. Please direct any topic related questions to the editors.
Keywords:
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), Pollution Remediation, Technology Environment
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.