Enhanced sonochemical degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid by sulfate ions

Jo-Chen Lin; Shang-Lien Lo; Ching-Yao Hu; Yu-Chi Lee; Jeff Kuo

doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2014.06.006

Enhanced sonochemical degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid by sulfate ions

Ultrason Sonochem. 2015 Jan:22:542-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2014.06.006. Epub 2014 Jun 16.

Authors

Jo-Chen Lin¹, Shang-Lien Lo², Ching-Yao Hu³, Yu-Chi Lee¹, Jeff Kuo⁴

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan, ROC.
² Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, National Taiwan University, 71, Chou-Shan Road, Taipei 106, Taiwan, ROC. Electronic address: sllo@ntu.edu.tw.
³ School of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250, Wu-Hsing Street, Taipei 110, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA.

PMID: 24970115
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2014.06.006

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of sulfate ions on the decomposition of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) by ultrasonic (US) irradiation at various pHs, sulfate doses, powers and temperatures. The removal of PFOA was augmented with an increased sulfate ion concentration, with PFOA being almost completely decomposed in 90min at 25°C with a sulfate dose of 117mM. The two major mechanisms in the sulfate-assisted sonochemical system are the direct destruction of PFOA by cavitation and the indirect destruction of PFOA by sulfate free radicals. The decomposition of PFOA followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and was not influenced by pH. The reaction rate constants decreased with increases in temperature due to decreases in the surface tension of the solution.

Keywords: Defluorination; Perfluorooctanoic acid; Sonochemical; Sulfate ion; Surface tension; Ultrasonic.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't