Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID OK_2023_Apblett

Technology for Measurement and Remediation of PFAS in Contaminated Water

Institute: Oklahoma
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $25,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $25,002

Principal Investigators: Allen Apblett

Project Summary: Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are often referred to as the ‘forever chemicals’ due to their extreme persistence in the environment. They are widely distributed due to use in a wide variety of consumer products and firefighting foams. The health concerns about these substances makes their detection, and perhaps more importantly, their removal from water very desirable. The affected public, stake holders in the water supply industry, and the “owners” of the original PFAS contamination all desire solutions to the problem. The objectives of the proposed research are to develop materials that can remove large quantities of PFAS from water that is also amenable to conversion to a material in which the se contaminants are permanently locked in a silica waste form. Furthermore, the sorbent materials will be developed into a novel analytical technology that will allow environmental scientists to more economically and easily measure PFAS concentrations, a very desirable outcome.