Effects of Temperature and DC Electric Fields on Perfluorooctanoic Acid Sorption Kinetics to Activated Carbon

Sorption to activated carbon is a common approach to reducing environmental risks of waterborne perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), while effective and flexible approaches to PFOA sorption are needed. Variations in temperature or the use of electrokinetic phenomena (electroosmosis and electromigration) in the presence of external DC electric fields have been shown to alter the contaminant sorption of contaminants. Their role in PFOA sorption, however, remains unclear. Here, we investigated the joint effects of DC electric fields and the temperature on the sorption of PFOA on activated carbon. Temperature-dependent batch and column sorption experiments were performed in the presence and absence of DC fields, and the results were evaluated by using different kinetic sorption models. We found an emerging interplay of DC and temperature on PFOA sorption, which was linked via the liquid viscosity (η) of the electrolyte. For instance, the combined presence of a DC field and low temperature increased the PFOA loading up to 38% in 48 h relative to DC-free controls. We further developed a model that allowed us to predict temperature- and DC field strength-dependent electrokinetic benefits on the drivers of PFOA sorption kinetics (i.e., intraparticle diffusivity and the film mass transfer coefficient). Our insights may give rise to future DC- and temperature-driven applications for PFOA sorption, for instance, in response to fluctuating PFOA concentrations in contaminated water streams.