Removal of PFOA from Water Using UV Treatment, Chemical Oxidation, & Adsorption by Activated Carbon & Zeolites

The objective of this project was to evaluate the removal of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water through various oxidation and adsorption treatment methods. PFOA is a fluorosurfactant and is found in many firefighting foams. Even though the manufacture of PFOA has declined over the past few years due to its persistence in water and toxicity, there are still traces of PFOA in numerous water bodies. Treatment by chemical oxidation was performed with dichromate, calcium hypochlorite, sodium persulfate, potassium permanganate, potassium ferrate, and UV light. Adsorption with granular activated carbon and zeolites was also attempted. Adsorption proved to be a successful and promising technique for removing PFOA from water compared to oxidation