Degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid adsorbed on Fe-zeolites with molecular oxygen as oxidant under UV-A irradiation

Lin Qian, Anett Georgi, Rafael Gonzalez-Olmos, Frank Dieter Kopinke

Research output: Indexed journal article Articlepeer-review

39 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is of emerging concern owing to its global distribution and environmental persistence. Efficient degradation approaches are so far limited. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the photochemical degradation of PFOA under UV-A irradiation after adsorption on Fe-doped zeolites with molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant. In a system containing 1 g L−1 PFOA-loaded Fe-zeolites, outstanding PFOA decomposition (> 99 %) was achieved within 24 h under slightly acidic conditions (pH ≤ 5.5). Short-chain perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) are the main intermediates, beside fluoride and CO2. No PFOA degradation occurs with Fe-free zeolites or dissolved ferric ions. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of pH, inorganic ions and gas atmospheres on PFOA degradation. A photochemical degradation mechanism with zeolite-bound iron species as catalytic sites for carboxylate-to-metal charge transfer is proposed. The presented study offers a novel approach for the removal of the highly recalcitrant PFOA from contaminated waters.

Original languageEnglish
Article number119283
JournalApplied Catalysis B: Environmental
Volume278
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 5 Dec 2020

Keywords

  • Degradation
  • Fe-zeolites
  • Heterogeneous photochemistry
  • Perfluorooctanoic acid
  • UV-A

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