Degradation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid by Reactive
Species Generated through Catalyzed H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> Propagation
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Abstract
Perfluorinated compounds, which are
environmentally persistent
and bioaccumulative contaminants, cannot currently be treated in the
subsurface by <i>in situ</i> technologies. Catalyzed H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> propagation (CHP) reactions, which generate
hydroxyl radical, hydroperoxide anion, and superoxide anion, were
investigated for treating perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) as a basis
for <i>in situ</i> chemical oxidation remediation of groundwater.
Using 1 M H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> and 0.5 mM iron(III), PFOA was
degraded by 89% within 150 min. Hydroxyl radical does not react with
PFOA, but systems producing only superoxide promoted 68% PFOA degradation
within 150 min. In systems producing only hydroperoxide, the level
of PFOA degradation was 80% over 150 min. The generation of near-stoichiometric
equivalents of fluoride during PFOA degradation and the lack of detectable
degradation products suggest PFOA may be mineralized by CHP. CHP process
conditions can be adjusted during treatability studies to increase
the flux of superoxide and hydroperoxide to treat PFOA, providing
an easily implemented technology