A mini-review on advanced reduction processes for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances remediation: current status and future prospects
Ehsan Banayan Esfahani, Fatemeh Asadi Zeidabadi, Lohita Rajesh, Sean T. McBeath, Madjid Mohseni
Abstract
Advanced reduction processes (ARPs) have emerged as promising techniques for destruction of persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) due to the formation of highly reductive hydrated electrons (eaq−). The present study provides a critical review of the progress and prospects of the field over the past three to five years categorizing topics into three main sections: i) state of the art of ARPs, comparing the promise and mechanisms of methods such as photochemical, ionizing irradiation, plasma, sonolysis, electroreduction, and zero-valent iron; ii) integration of ARPs with physical-separation methods, oxidation processes, and their role in regeneration/management of PFAS-laden media; iii) challenges/innovations in real-world application of ARPs. Three primary future research directions are also proposed in alignment with the current and upcoming research focuses.