Feasibility Study on Adsorption of PFOA from Reuse Water by Powdered Activated Carbon

The feasibility of powdered activated carbon (PAC) as an adsorbent to eliminate the perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in the water for reuse has been studied. PAC exhibits a high affinity to adsorb PFOA on its surface. More than 95% of PFOA can be adsorbed onto PAC surface at the first hour. For common reuse water, the most optical PAC concentration was 0.125 g/L. As illustrated by IR spectra, PAC is an economical and effective adsorbent in treatment and reuse of wastewater containing PFOA. The results obtained in the study helped in developing a new process in the water reuse system to eliminate PFOA, which established a theoretical foundation for PFOA physical removal technology.