Electrochemical remediation of PFAS by Boron-Doped Diamond electrodes: A review

The remediation of per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) has received increasing attention because of their toxicity at even low concentration and their ubiquitous presence in water and soil resources. Electrochemical treatment with Boron Doped Diamond (BDD) electrodes has emerged as a powerful technology for PFAS removal and destruction from surface water , groundwater, and wastewater, including streams originating from the remediation of contaminated soils. Impressive removal rates and full mineralization can be achieved for several classes of PFAS with minimum demand of chemicals, an extremely low amount of waste generation and reduced energy requirements compared to other destruction technologies. Within this critical review, reaction pathways, solution chemistry and operational parameters are discussed, and recent advances of the electrochemical cell are summarized. Finally, synergic combination with other remediation techniques is presented, with the aim to promote the development of a robust approach to tackle PFAS contamination.