Evaluation of hybrid treatment configurations of granular activated carbon and alternative adsorbents for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances removal from surface water and groundwater

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as a significant global environmental concern due to their persistence, ubiquitous presence, and associated human health hazards. As a result, regulatory agencies worldwide have enacted stringent drinking water standards to mitigate human exposure to PFAS. Traditional adsorption-based treatment technologies like granular activated carbon (GAC) and anion-exchange resins have been used extensively, but often see diminished performance with “challenging” waters that contain competitive adsorbates such as dissolved organic matter (DOM) and/ or total dissolved solids (TDS). This study evaluated a relatively new selective adsorbent (Fluoro-Sorb®) in combination with lead-lag column configurations to improve the treatment of challenging waters. A rapid small-scale column test (RSSCT) system was used to assess the performance of Filtrasorb 400 (GAC), Fluoro-Sorb® 200 (FS), and CalRes2301 (IX) with three different source waters: PFAS spiked tap water, stormwater; and brackish groundwater. Additionally, this study evaluated three lead-lag systems (GAC-IX, FS-IX, and GAC-FS) and developed a costing approach to compare the cost-effectiveness of these configurations. Based on the media performance, usage rate, and cost, FS was the most cost-effective for brackish groundwater, followed by IX and GAC. However, FS’s cost savings diminished for stormwater and PFAS spiked tap water, where IX consistently performed better, and short-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) remained challenging for GAC and FS to remove. The lead-lag column study demonstrated that hybrid configurations were more cost-effective for brackish groundwater and short-chain PFCA removal when compared to a standalone IX column. Lastly, GAC-IX was the most cost-effective configuration for treating brackish groundwater, offering moderate to high performance and at a lower overall media cost than FS-IX.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (M.S.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Leong, Chan (Calvin)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bellona, Christopher

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Strathmann, Timothy J.
• Vatankhah, Hooman

• activated carbon
• ion exchange
• lead-lag
• PFAS
• water

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright of the original work is retained by the author.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

Dc Identifier Other

T 9840

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.mines.edu:11124/180206