Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID IL_2024_Park

Conversion of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) to Valuable Chemicals viaElectrochemical Destruction Process

Institute: Illinois
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $15,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $15,000

Principal Investigators: Jung Hyun Park

Project Summary: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are notorious chemical compounds that accumulate in thehuman body causing serious health problems. Accordingly, Illinois EPA, as well as USEPA, strictlyprohibits the manufacturing and distribution of PFAS. Aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF) used toextinguish a fire contain 3-6 % of PFAS, and thus, the existing AFFF stock must be properly managedbefore being discharged into the environment. Conventionally, PFAS has been decomposed through energyintensivemethods such as incineration, pyrolysis, and hydrothermal treatment, releasing CO2 into theatmosphere. In contrast, the proposed electrochemical treatment process addresses not only carbon footprintreduction but generates value-added chemical products in a fast, facile, safe, and less energy intensivemanner. The developed process will be further beneficial to address the challenges of municipal wastewatertreatment containing toxic chemicals while creating a positive environmental and economic impact.