Effective
removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)
from the environment has become a major focus of a number of research
groups due to their high stability and persistence in the environment.
In this study, we report a fundamental study of the removal of one
of the most extensively produced PFAS, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA),
using amphiphilic perfluoropolyether (PFPE)-containing block copolymers
as effective sorbents. The results demonstrate interactions between
PFOA and the PFPE blocks and that the extent of sorption is higher
for the block copolymer with the shorter poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)methyl
ether acrylate) segments. High selectivity of sorption was further
confirmed by the addition of 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum to phosphate-buffered
saline. The presence of dissolved proteins and other biomolecules
did not interfere with the removal of PFOA from solution. Overall,
the results provide important design parameters and a potential platform
for preparing efficient sorbents for treating PFAS samples at environmentally
relevant concentrations.
The co-occurrence of various chemical
and biological contaminants
of emerging concerns has hindered the application of water recycling.
This study aims to develop a heterogeneous photo-Fenton treatment
by fabricating nano pyrite (FeS2) on graphene oxide (FeS2@GO) to simultaneously remove antibiotic resistant bacteria
(ARB), antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and micropollutants (MPs).
A facile and solvothermal process was used to synthesize new pyrite-based
composites. The GO coated layer forms a strong chemical bond with
nano pyrite, which enables to prevent the oxidation and photocorrosion
of pyrite and promote the transfer of charge carriers. Low reagent
doses of FeS2@GO catalyst (0.25 mg/L) and H2O2 (1.0 mM) were found to be efficient for removing 6-log
of ARB and 7-log of extracellular ARG (e-ARG) after 30 and 7.5 min
treatment, respectively, in synthetic wastewater. Bacterial regrowth
was not observed even after a two-day incubation. Moreover, four recalcitrant
MPs (sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, diclofenac, and mecoprop at
an environmentally relevant concentration of 10 μg/L
each) were completely removed after 10 min of treatment. The stable
and recyclable composite generated more reactive species, including
hydroxyl radicals (HO•), superoxide radicals (O2
• –), singlet oxygen (1O2). These findings highlight that the synthesized
FeS2@GO catalyst is a promising heterogeneous photo-Fenton
catalyst for the removal of emerging contaminants.
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