IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-57272-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Broad-spectrum capture of hundreds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from fluorochemical wastewater

Author

Listed:
  • Yiyang Liang

    (Dongguan University of Technology
    Dongguan University of Technology)

  • Lihui Yang

    (Dongguan University of Technology
    Dongguan University of Technology)

  • Caiming Tang

    (Dongguan University of Technology
    Dongguan University of Technology)

  • Ying Yang

    (Dongguan University of Technology
    Dongguan University of Technology)

  • Shangtao Liang

    (University of Georgia)

  • Anqi Wang

    (Dongguan University of Technology
    Dongguan University of Technology)

  • Jiale Xu

    (North Dakota State University)

  • Qingguo Huang

    (University of Georgia)

  • Hui Lin

    (Dongguan University of Technology
    Dongguan University of Technology)

Abstract

Hundreds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are present in fluorochemical production effluents, and existing adsorption devices are inadequate to address this PFAS challenge given their extreme structural diversity. Here, we achieve the broad-spectrum capture of 107 PFAS from fluorochemical effluents using a treatment-train strategy that combines Zn-based electrocoagulation (EC) with anion-exchange resin (AER) beds. The “zero-carbon” adsorbent, zinc hydroxide flocs generated insitu by Zn-based EC, bulk removes PFAS with log Kow > 4 through a semi-micellar adsorption mechanism similar to mineral flotation and achieves adsorption capacities at the optimal level of all reported adsorbents. Technical-economic analysis and life-cycle environmental impact show that coupling Zn-based EC reduces the cost by an order-of-magnitude and the carbon-footprint by 70% compared to AER beds alone. It is also observed that iodinated PFAS, with some fluorine atoms are replaced by iodine atoms, exhibit significantly improved adsorption selectivity, which may shed light on designing environmentally-friendly fluorochemicals.

Suggested Citation

  • Yiyang Liang & Lihui Yang & Caiming Tang & Ying Yang & Shangtao Liang & Anqi Wang & Jiale Xu & Qingguo Huang & Hui Lin, 2025. "Broad-spectrum capture of hundreds of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from fluorochemical wastewater," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57272-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57272-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57272-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-57272-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jay N. Meegoda & Bruno Bezerra de Souza & Melissa Monteiro Casarini & Jitendra A. Kewalramani, 2022. "A Review of PFAS Destruction Technologies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-25, December.
    2. Andrea B. Kirk & Kelsey Marie Plasse & Karli C. Kirk & Clyde F. Martin & Gamze Ozsoy, 2022. "Predicting Exposure to Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) among US Infants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-16, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrea B. Kirk & Alisa DeStefano & Alexander Martin & Karli C. Kirk & Clyde F. Martin, 2023. "A New Interpretation of Relative Importance on an Analysis of Per and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) Exposures on Bone Mineral Density," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Yuxuan Tan & Zurui Zeng & Huanzhu Liang & Xueqiong Weng & Huojie Yao & Yingyin Fu & Yexin Li & Jingmin Chen & Xiangcai Wei & Chunxia Jing, 2022. "Association between Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Women’s Infertility, NHANES 2013–2016," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-15, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57272-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.