Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID DC_2025_Azam

Removal of PFAS in water using renewable absorbents under realistic environmental conditions.

Institute: District of Columbia
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $14,965 Total Non-Federal Funds: $16,902

Principal Investigators: Hossain M Azam, Lavell Merritt

Project Summary: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are harmful chemicals that pollute water and are difficult to remove because they persist in the environment and can accumulate in living things. The common method for removing PFAS from water is using activated carbon, but this method struggles with short-chain PFAS, competes with other substances, relies on non-renewable materials, and requires a lot of energy to regenerate. Researchers are interested in finding alternative materials from renewable or low-cost sources, like solid waste, to improve PFAS removal. However, there's limited understanding of how well these new materials work under real environmental conditions, especially since most studies have used artificial solutions with much higher PFAS levels than what's typically found. This research aims to:1) Identify representative PFAS and other pollutants found in local waters; 2) Screen potential renewable adsorbents; 3) Test these adsorbents in real water samples; 4) Analyze the absorption data, and 5) Complete a final analysis. The study will focus on how well different renewable adsorbents can remove both long and short-chain PFAS under realistic conditions, helping to improve our understanding of their effectiveness.