PFAS is a class of chemicals used in many industries because of their ability to form an interface. Yet, they pose a concern to human health and do not break down in the environment. Removing PFAS from water and wastewater is vital to preventing bioaccumulation. Our project capitalized on the surfactant nature of PFAS to design a batch reactor system with four graduated cylinders to remove a volatile PFAS species, 6:2 FTOH, from water by bubbling. We intended for evenly spaced liquid samples to undergo solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by injection into a GC-MS device. 6:2 FTOH concentration sample results would be compared to the initial 6:2 FTOH concentration before bubbling to determine if bubbles captured and removed PFAS from water. Though we did not test the effectiveness of bubbling, our standardization and sample-testing procedures revealed new information on 6:2 FTOH. Our reactor design is able to test our hypothesis along with other factors such as pH, ionic strength, and cosurfactants.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Henderson, Shannon
• Widman, Richard
• Trongone, Ryan

Subject

• Innovation
• Well-Being
• Infrastructure
• Water
• Health
• Sustainability
• Environment

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042723-143242
• 106371

Keyword

• PFAS
• Water Treatment
• Wastewater Treatment
• Bubbler
• FTOH

Advisor

• Bergendahl, John Andrew
• Kmiotek, Stephen J.

Year

• 2023

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
• 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
• 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
• 13 - Climate Action

Date created

• 2023-04-27

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Civil Engineering
• Environmental Engineering

Source

• E-project-042723-143242

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-06-23