Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID FL_2024_Faria

Tailoring the Surface Chemistry of Activated Carbon with Molecular Imprinted Polymers for Ultra-Selective Removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Water

Institute: Florida
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $28,068 Total Non-Federal Funds: $12,835

Principal Investigators: Andreia Fonseca de Faria

Project Summary: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals that can be found in everyday items such as waterproof clothing and non-stick cookware. However, PFAS can easily contaminate freshwater sources and are difficult to remove using traditional wastewater treatment methods. While alternative methods to remove PFAS do exist, they often require excessive energy or have limited effectiveness. Activated carbon (AC) is a commonly used adsorbent for this purpose, but its low selectivity and regenerative capacity are problematic. This project aims to chemically graft highly selective molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) onto activated carbon (AC) to enhance its PFAS adsorption performance and selectivity. MIPs work by mimicking the "enzyme-receptor" binding process to remove pollutants from water. The goal is to use MIPs on activated carbon to create an adsorbent that can bind to PFAS without removing other substances from the water and can be regenerated without requiring any expensive thermal treatments.